Initial Attraction
by sireneris
Summary: The story of Bellatrix Black's beginnings as a Death Eater, to her rise as Voldemort's most loyal servant. Told from the point of view of her future husband Rodolphus Lestrange. Reviews are much appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I understand that Evan Rosier is most likely several years younger than Rodolphus and Bellatrix, but in this story, they are all in the same year. **

**Read, Review, and Enjoy (:**

Chapter One

Bellatrix Black watched, mildly absorbed in the game of wizards' chess her cousin Evan Rosier was playing against Rodolphus Lestrange in the Slytherin common room. The room was filled with students, but the three seventh year students used their talents of intimidation to secure the best seats near the fireplace. Rodolphus eyed Bellatrix, an arrogant smirk on his face, until one of his pieces was smashed my Rosier's knight. He looked back at the board. He could feel her gaze on him even after he had turned away, as she settled back comfortably in her chair, enveloped in the green haze that covered the common room at all times.

Rosier laughed as he watched Rodolphus's piece turn to rubble, and looked to Bellatrix, "Are you going home for winter break?" he inquired.

"No," she replied nonchalantly, "My parents are travelling. My father has some important business he has to do over the coming months, and so my sisters and I are staying at the castle this year." She tilted her chin up, proud of her Black family heritage. Her dark eyes looked down condescendingly on Rosier. "What about you?"

"I'm staying here too. My mum wanted me to come home, but I told her I have to study up for N.E.W.T.s, and she let me stay." He looked impressed with himself. Bellatrix however, shifted in her armchair and leaned forward, suddenly more interested in her cousin.

"Why exactly aren't you going home?" asked Bellatrix. "You don't think I'll actually believe you're studying, do you?" If it was at all possible, she had pushed her head up higher and heaved her chest out prouder, reveling in her astuteness.

Evan and Rodolphus exchanged glances. They both turned back to the chess board nervously. "We… well we're working on something over break," Rodolphus ventured. He could not tell Bellatrix about why they were not going home, he knew, but this was a tricky situation to get out of.

"And what is that something?" Bellatrix asked haughtily.

"We are… erm… we are beginning to-"

Rosier cut in. "WE- do not need to tell you anything, Bella."

Rodolphus regained his composure although he was blushing slightly. Rodolphus grinned at Bellatrix apologetically, raising his eyebrows. He knew it was better if she didn't know. Still, he worried as he saw her curiosity ignite and a slow smile creep across her pale face.

"Evan," she said slowly, almost as if she were speaking to a child who had misbehaved, "Tell me at once or I shall tell your mother that you're not studying at all. I'll also tell her about those marks you changed on your last report card, and how you were the one who set the doxies on Declan Figg last month."

Rosier paled a bit at the threat she gave him. After thinking for a moment, he stood up from the table, and with a sweep of his wand, packed up the wizards' chess board and pieces. Rodolphus stood up also, worried that Bellatrix had put his best friend in an impossible situation. Rosier beckoned for Bellatrix to follow him. She gave a reassuring glance to her sister Andromeda who had been nervously watching the proceedings from the other side of the common room. They walked out of the Slytherin common room, Rodolphus trailing behind her as she eagerly pursued her cousin.

"Ev, you really shouldn't tell her, you know, this could be really bad, she shouldn't…" Rodolphus quieted as they walked along the silent corridors. It was late, and they did not want to get caught out of the common room. Rosier led them to an old, musty classroom and bolted the door behind them. He then cast a charm on the surrounding walls to prevent anyone from overhearing their conversation.

Bellatrix took a seat atop an ancient, dusty desk, and she let down her long, dark hair. The waves cascaded down her back, and catching the moonlight, projected eerie shadows on the wall. Rodolphus sat in the seat of a desk two over from Bellatrix, and Rosier pulled up a seat and sat directly in front of his cousin. The classroom looked as if it used to be a defense against the dark arts classroom, for there were yellowing books about the dark arts along the walls, and abandoned cages with the dusty, forgotten skeletons of dark creatures. Rodolphus was familiar with the classroom, having come here numerous times to practice dark spells with Rosier and their friends.

"You must promise me, Bellatrix," began Rosier, "That if I tell you what you want me to tell you, you must not repeat it to anyone. Not to your sisters, or any friends, no matter what, alright? This is important, we cannot be compromised."

"Alright Evan, I won't say a word, now what is it?"

Rodolphus could sense Bellatrix's growing eagerness. She lowered her chin and leaned toward Rosier. Rodolphus admired her, but he did not want her getting involved. There was nothing he could do though, because a moment later, Rosier began again.

"Rodolphus, Rabastan, and I, and some other guys from our house, had decided to… experiment with dark magic, and we had found quite a calling in it. As it stood, Hogwarts didn't cater to our needs, providing only career paths to vocations where dark magic is… frowned upon. But we have found someone who can lead us: a dark lord with potential- with power, ambition, prodigious skill, and a desire for followers. So we went to him. We told him of our desire to follow him, to learn under him and serve him, and he let us join him. We can't go home this year for winter break because he needs us to train and to do his bidding."

Rosier stopped here, to let Bellatrix think over his confession for a few moments. It was obvious from the slightly worried, but very interested face she now possessed that she had not expected this. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out, then after a moment she asked, "So… is this dark lord you are serving… Lord Voldemort?" She glanced at Rodolphus. He nodded grimly. She stood up. Rodolphus watched as she stumbled for a moment, looking ill, before sitting down again, drawing her knees up and resting her chin on top of them. She was a very small witch, but she was quite skilled. Rodolphus stood up quickly and put his arm on her shoulder. He looked down at her dark eyes and gave her a concerned glance.

"Rodolphus?" She asked.

"Yes?"

"Do you like it much? Serving the Dark Lord?"

"Oh." This hadn't been a question he was expecting. He pondered it. "Yes, I suppose I do. He is powerful and intelligent and he is a good leader. He trains us in what we want to know, and allows us to practice dark spells."

"Hmm…" was all Bellatrix answered his thought with. She stood up a moment later, and shook Rodolphus off her arm. Rosier stood as well. "Don't say a word." he warned.

Bellatrix nodded her consent and walked silently between the boys as they wandered back to the Slytherin dormitories.

Rodolphus could not manage to fall asleep that night. His mind kept returning to Bellatrix. He was now glad that she knew, because he liked being able to share this with her. They had been friends ever since their third year, when they were forced to be both potions and herbology partners. Rodolphus had been friends with Evan Rosier for even longer, sharing a compartment with him on the Hogwart's Express first year.

Rosier was the one who had led Rodolphus, his brother Rabastan, and a group of others in increasing their skills in the Dark Arts. They practiced in the old abandoned classroom that they had taken Bellatrix earlier that night. They didn't invite any girls, although Rodolphus was sure Bellatrix would be great at it. Although she was stubborn and proud, she was an incredibly skilled witch, excelling in Occlumency, Legilimency, Dueling, and receiving fantastic grades in every class she took. She picked up spells faster than anyone Rodolphus had met before.

He thought about how she had reacted to Rosier's confession. She seemed shocked at first, but then she seemed content with the idea. Rodolphus was sure she had a million questions, but she would wait to ask him when they were alone, because she didn't want to seem unintelligent in front of her cousin. He thought of her face, right at the very end, when she was getting used to the idea of Rosier and him serving the Dark Lord. He thought he saw a hint of… jealousy? He shook the feeling away and finally drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Expelliarmus!" cried Lucius Malfoy, but his spell was no match for Bellatrix Black. She instinctively casted a shield charm then stunned her opponent. She stalked across the long dueling strip until she stood over him, her crooked wand angled toward his pale face. She pinched her face up in a disgusted look, which Rodolphus read easily as he watched the duel: this younger boy had been too easy for her. It took her less than a minute to have him at her mercy. She pushed her long, dark hair back over her shoulders. She bowed to the onlookers and walked off the strip. A professor quickly restored Malfoy and he knit his brow together and walked from the hall.

Hogwarts' Dueling Club was quite popular. Many students came just to watch others try to defeat their opponents while other, braver students tried their luck at a duel. After the evening meal, the tables were vanished from the Great Hall. A great combination of dueling strips and seating replaced them. The 3rd years were the youngest duelers allowed, and they usually started the evening's proceedings. Once the younger students got their turn, the older students stepped onto the strip, eager to prove themselves. Tonight's meeting was on the last night before the winter holiday was set to begin.

Rodolphus knew Lucius never stood a chance. He didn't understand why the younger boy challenged Bellatrix. It was well known that she was the best dueler in the school, among the students. The boy had an ego the size of a mountain troll, he reminded himself. His parents, like Bellatrix's, no doubt, fill him up with pure-blood pride. Rodolphus watched as Bellatrix stepped back onto the strip, eager to prove herself again. Before he could think, he found himself walking up the steps of the dueling platform, and walking towards the middle to bow to her, as the onlookers excitedly chattered. Among the crowd, he could see Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Slughorn. The latter worshiped Bellatrix, and he could see the excitement growing on the Slug Club moderator's face. Rodolphus felt his cheeks burn as he stood under the scrutiny of his professors. He was a capable wizard, but not a prodigy like Bellatrix. Rodolphus and Bellatrix bowed to each other, and Bellatrix looked excited for the challenge that he brought. She paced away from him and then posed with her wand up, preparing for the ensuing duel. Rodolphus didn't carry the dueling record that Bellatrix did, but he still managed to prove himself as a very threatening opponent. He knew rare spells and was tough to take down with a simple stunner or disarming charm.

He casted a stunning spell at her, which she deflected, and she reflected the jet of light back towards her opponent. She cast another spell at him, and he did not react as quickly as she had. It knocked him backward and he stumbled for a few feet. The onlookers gasped. Nearly everyone in the Great Hall had their eyes turned towards Bellatrix and Rodolphus as their wands projected spell after spell that attempted to penetrate the other's defenses. Bellatrix conjured ropes that fitted themselves around Rodolphus's arms and waist, but he was able to cast a spell to free himself by moving his wrist, which wasn't bound. Rodolphus conjured water which sprayed in a strong jet from the tip of his wand, but was countered with Bellatrix shooting a steady stream of air from her wand. She was winning, it seemed, as his jet of water shortened, deflecting to the sides and soaking the crowd. Her face lit up as she realized her spell was more effective than his, and she cast another stunner at him.

A quick brandish of his wand arm deflected the stunner. He paused for a moment, considering, and Bellatrix took advantage of his moment of respite. She cast a spell, binding Rodolphus's legs, and conjured up more ropes, tying him more securely then the first time. She waited for him to stop struggling, and then she bowed to the crowd, who clapped loudly as she descended from the platform. She left the Great Hall, and Rodolphus waited for McGonagall to free him so that he could leave as well.

He watched as Hogwart's champion witch walked out of the Hall, and thought about her tremendous skill. He had a small thought that kept nagging him since Rosier had first told Bellatrix about their service to the Dark Lord, that maybe she would be a good servant to him as well. It was a dangerous and sometimes terrible job though, he reminded himself again and again, thinking of the mere minutes he had endured the Cruciatus Curse and how tremendously awful they had been. With that memory, he easily shut the troublesome idea out of his head, preferring to keep Bellatrix away from the Dark Lord's dangerous tendencies. He decided to go look for her, as it appeared she had snuck out onto the grounds alone, and night was quickly falling.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Rodolphus was met by Rosier as he was leaving the Great Hall. "Going for a walk?" his best friend inquired, and Rodolphus nodded.

Rosier inquired further, "Is it a… private… walk, or can you invite a chum to tag along? Rita Skeeter's been all over me about kissing her under the mistletoe, and so I just need to stay out of the common room until she's gone to bed."

Rodolphus laughed at Rosier's predicament. "It's fine, you can walk with me. I was going to see if I could catch up to Bellatrix, though, so you better not mind walking with her."

"Anything's better than Skeeter," teased Rosier as the boys ran out across the snow-draped front lawn of the school, using a spell to eliminate their footprints as they appeared.

They found Bellatrix a few hundred yards from the school, although it was hard to find her at first, for she had cast the same spell, removing her own footprints.

"Hey Bellatrix, nice job," said Rodolphus as he fell into step beside her. He looked down at her face, and saw her looking puzzled.

She paused for a moment. "I shouldn't have won that easily," she said after they had walked a little farther. "What happened?"

"Well, you said it yourself, you are the best dueler, why can't you just accept the victory?"

"Because we were almost evenly matched until the very end. You seemed to stop for a moment, and lose your concentration." This question was plaguing her, Rodolphus could tell.

"If you really must know, I had to stop myself from using a spell the Dark Lord taught me."

"What kind of spell?" Bellatrix suddenly sounding very excited.

"Keep it down!" said Rosier. "I don't need you two leaking any information out to anyone who might overhear." They all glanced around. No one seemed to be near as they approached the familiar line of trees that marked the edge of the forest. Still, the rest of their conversation was spoken in hushed voices.

"Not a good one to use in front of any professor at Hogwarts." He snickered a little. Bellatrix jogged a bit to keep up with Rosier and Rodolphus's rapid pace. They were walking along the edge of the forbidden forest. The sun was just disappearing beyond the horizon, and they knew they would be in trouble if they were caught out on the grounds this late.

"You know, I know some spells that would get me in trouble too. I can duel with more than stunners, I just don't need to, because they're effective enough, and I don't want to get in trouble." Bellatrix stepped a few feet into the woods. She leaned back against a solid tree trunk. She tipped her chin up, appraising Rodolphus, her chest heaving. "It's just you, me and Ev here now. We could duel again, and use whichever spells we want, to see who the better duelist truly is. I mean, if you think you stand a chance."

Rodolphus and Rosier too now stepped into the trees. Rodolphus didn't like this idea, although the challenge she baited him with was very enticing. He thought he did stand a chance against Hogwart's reigning queen duelist, and he wanted to knock her off her pedestal a bit. He also wanted to try out his training with the Dark Lord. So far, he had only been reading about certain spells in books, and trying others on animals and muggles. Rodolphus glanced at Rosier. His best friend seemed to love the idea, a vicious smile twisting its way along his face. Rodolphus had a feeling that Rosier would like nothing better than to see the great, proud Bellatrix Black be put in her place.

He nodded his ascent, and a determined smile appeared on her face. She took his arm and led him deeper into the forest. They found a small clearing, and she stood about ten paces from him. She turned to face him. Her black robes matched her black hair and dark eyes. Rosier stood between them, but off to the side. Bellatrix tossed her cloak to the side of the clearing, and then both Rodolphus and she raised their wands.

Rodolphus sent a strong jet of purple light at Bellatrix and she stumbled backwards. She quickly recovered from this falter by casting a spell which made a sharp, piercing noise fill Rodolphus's ears, while the rest of the clearing remained silent. He fell to his knees, but luckily he knew the counterjinx, and was able to regain his composure. Ears ringing, he sent flames towards Bellatrix, but she created another strong gust of wind like she had in the Great Hall, and the flames came back towards him.

Rodolphus gained some more respect for her; she obviously was a very capable duelist. Bellatrix next cast a spell at the roots near Rodolphus's feet. They turned bright red and snaked up his legs. He could feel their constricting, painful grasp and suddenly a burning sensation. The roots were burning him! He blew them up with a Reductor Curse, and then turned back to Bellatrix.

Rodolphus brought up both hands, and bringing them down in a complicated manner, muttered an unfamiliar incantation. Suddenly, a great black cloud of smoke erupted from his wand. It charged toward Bellatrix and rapidly oscillated around her. The swirling black cloud changed form into a skull and took off skyward. Before it even broke the tops of the trees however, it dissolved into a faint gray mist that spread through the air.

He looked back at Bellatrix and found her lying on the forest floor. Rosier and Rodolphus ran over to her. She stirred after a few moments. She squeezed her eyes shut as in pain, and then opened her mouth. A soft breath of black smoke came out, which formed into a serpentine shape and then disappeared like the other cloud. Rosier grabbed Bellatrix's cloak, sat her up and wrapped it around her.

She coughed, and then immediately placed a hand to her chest, wincing. "What was that?" she asked in a faint voice.

"Bella, I'm sorry." Rodolphus looked down. He felt terrible. He hadn't meant to hurt her badly, just to confuse her enough in the smoke that he could stun her after.

Rosier looked at him also. "That was some dark magic, Rod. Where did you find that spell?" Rodolphus had expected Rosier to be angry at him for using the spell on Bellatrix, but it seemed that his best friend was in awe of the magic he had managed to perform.

"I was with the Dark Lord," began Rodolphus, "And he told me about this spell. He told me the incantation, and had me practice the motion. He said that it's one of the best spells in his repertoire. He invented it himself. He told me that if I ever needed a distraction, it would work perfectly. I'm so sorry Bellatrix, I hadn't practiced it, I didn't know anything about it, I just saw his face in my mind and it was like he told me to do it. It was completely irresponsible. How do you feel?"

"I feel… really terrible actually, but I think I'll be fine." Rodolphus brought his gaze up from the twigs at his feet. Some color was returning to her face, and she stood up with Rosier's help. She continued, "We should probably get back to the castle now though, it's getting cold, and someone might notice us missing soon."

They walked back to the castle slowly, and ever-cautious, Rodolphus eliminated their snowy tracks. Once they were about halfway back to the castle, Bellatrix silently slipped her hand into Rodolphus's much larger one. He suddenly became nervous again, her hand was freezing, and she wasn't holding her shoulders in her normal proud way. Rather, they were hunched, as if she were in pain.

As soon as they had snuck back to the common room, Rosier left for the dormitory because he saw Rita Skeeter still lingering in the corner, doubtlessly reading a tabloid. Bellatrix and Rodolphus settled in large chairs on the opposite side of the room, and used the conversations of others in the room to cover the words they spoke.

"What hurts?" inquired Rodolphus.

Bellatrix looked taken aback, as if she thought she was hiding the pain well. "My chest hurts quite a lot, and my head is pounding. But Rodolphus, I just need to go to sleep, I'll be fine."

"We can go see the Madam Wolfe if you need to, we can make up a story…"

"No, Rodolphus, don't worry about it. You heard Evan, this can't get out. We can't tell anyone, even with a cover story. I'm sure I'll be fine though, I'm just tired."

"Alright… but Bella, if it doesn't get better, let me know, alright?"

"Mhmm…" she mumbled as she gazed into the fire, her mind elsewhere. After a long time she looked at him and gave a weak smile. "G'night," she said and stalked off to bed.

Rodolphus sighed and ran his hands through his hair. Behind him, students chatted excitedly about the upcoming break and the Christmas holiday. He was mad at himself for using that spell that he knew nothing about and he felt mad at Voldemort; for he has seen Voldemort's face in his mind, telling him to use it, to act irresponsibly. He knew this was impossible, and instantly tried to suppress all feelings of anger towards the Dark Lord, for he feared being in Voldemort's bad graces. He worried about Bellatrix, but she insisted that she only needed sleep. He hoped she was right. He finally decided to try to get some sleep, and retired to his dormitory, his mind flooded with images of smoky skulls and serpants.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Rodolphus sneezed, buried in the depths of a transfiguration essay that had been assigned over the break.

"Bless you," he heard a voice say, and looking over his shoulder, saw the elegant form of Bellatrix Black. "May I sit?" she asked, gesturing to the empty seat across from him at his table in the Hogwart's library.

"Of course," he replied eagerly. He placed down his quill, and closed the books for the time being.

"May I?"asked Bellatrix, implicating that she wanted to read his essay. He nodded his ascent and then handed it to her. It was now four days into the two weeks of winter break. The castle was mostly abandoned, save for the few students who remained behind. He looked up at Bellatrix, somewhat shocked by her use of manners. She looked tired, her eyes carrying purple shadows beneath them. Her face looked slightly thinner, and her hair was down and forgotten, a look that Rodolphus personally liked, but was disconcerting because it was such a change from her usual tight bun or braid. Her fingers moved lithely down the page, using his quill and ink to correct misspellings and dates here and there. She felt him watching her and looked up.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked. He had been busy the last few days, seeing the Dark Lord and working on his massive pile of homework, and he hadn't seen her very often.

"Yes, I feel a lot better, thank you for asking." She returned to critiquing his work, refusing to meet his suspicious glances. He had a feeling she was lying. He had missed several meals because of his service to the Dark Lord, but she wasn't in the Great Hall when he was there. She still looked like she was in pain, although she had regained the regal posture she normally held.

"Bella, if something's wrong, you need to tell me. Have you been eating and sleeping well?"

She snickered a little here. "What are you, my mother, why do you want to know?"

"Bella, you're avoiding the question. I want to know because I care about you."

She glanced up at him with wide eyes. She winced slightly, and quickly got up. She rolled up his essay, and turned and walked out of the library. He stuffed his books, quill, ink, and parchment into his bag and took off after her. He found her ascending the stairs for the astronomy tower. He climbed them after her, following at a few seconds' distance.

She sat on the ledge of the tower wall, her back to the castle grounds. She was watching the doorway as he emerged from it: she had known he would follow her. She silently watched him, challenging him. He tried to enter her mind nonverbally, a cruel game they sometimes play with each other. She was incredibly skilled in Occlumency, however, and even with her weakened and tired, he got nowhere.

"Legilimens," he saw her mouth, and suddenly she was inside his mind. He saw brilliant flashes of memory- him and her holding hands, Slytherin house celebrating winning the house cup last spring, a room of books, Rosier and him kneeling in an old house, Bellatrix lying on the forest floor unmoving, him lying awake looking anguished, a flash of skin and a black depiction, and him walking with Rosier, talking about the spell he cast on her, and how he was worried about its effects.

She broke the connection and shuddered a bit, and stood up, sliding off the ledge. She walked across the tower to the stairs, and then sat on the topmost step. Rodolphus sat beside her. "I'll always be better at reading thoughts," she said.

"Yes, you will." He laughed for a second. "Did you just see what my mind wanted to show you, or did you search for those?"

"Both," she replied. "At first I let you show me what you wanted to, and then I searched for memories about the Dark Lord and about myself. You've been thinking about me a lot lately."

"I've been worried," he admitted.

"Don't be. I can take care of myself." She smoothed out her robes, and continued. "Rodolphus?"

"Yeah, Bell?"

"Do you," she licked her lips, "Do you think that maybe, I could, I could meet the Dark Lord?"

Rodolphus was taken aback by her question. He liked the Dark Lord, but Voldemort could be cruel and brutal when he wanted to be. He was also fanatical and incredibly demanding.

"Why would you want to meet him?" he asked her.

"Well, ever since Evan told me about what he and you are doing over Christmas, I became interested in it. And I started thinking it over, and I really can't see myself on any of those 'Hogwart's advocated career paths' and so I thought that maybe, well you know, we could see if he would want me as a follower. I mean, I'm just as capable at magic as Evan and you, and I can take care of myself."

"Bellatrix, you really don't want to get involved with this." He knew, though, that even as he said it, she had already found her resolve, this was something she wasn't going to leave alone.

"You don't think that I've thought it over thousands of times over the past week? You don't think that I understand what I'm getting myself into? I know that he requires loyalty and devotion and consistency and I can give him those things! I can help his cause. It coincides with my parents ideals except he's revolutionary, he's dynamic, he's willing to fight for his way." Her eyes lit up as she pled her case to him, and she was now breathing rapidly, excited at the prospect of fighting for the cause.

Rodolphus thought it over. He still didn't think she truly understood what it meant to follow the Dark Lord. The tasks upon tasks, the waiting, the constant nervousness as Voldemort's anger and disappointment displayed itself. The tremendous loyalty to the cause was a given, there was no backing out. Still, he felt as if he owed Bellatrix after using the dark magic on her. She was quite skilled as a witch also, probably much better than most of the Dark Lord's followers thus far. He might be put in the Dark Lord's favor for presenting him with a witch so ideal.

The Dark Lord hadn't any female followers though, and he presented this point to Bellatrix.

"Then I guess I'll have to be the first to try." She was determined, and he somehow found comfort in her confidence. He felt anxious over the whole idea. He grabbed one of her hands in both of his.

"We will have to tell Evan." He said.

"Evan will never go along with it, we can't tell Evan."

"He's my best friend, Bella, we have to."

"And what if he says no?" Rodolphus paused, he could never go behind Rosier's back.

"I'll be able to bring him around to it, don't worry." She leaned her head on his shoulder and tapped her feet up and down on the step excitedly. They sat there in silence for a few minutes, until Bellatrix sat up again slowly. She turned so that she was facing him and appraised his arm.

"Can I see it?" she said cautiously.

"My mark?"

"Nah, your freckle. Yes, your mark!" she looked at him expectantly. He slowly raised his sleeve, and she saw a snake and skull emblazoned on his forearm. "Like the spell…" she breathed.

Rodolphus remembered the cloud of smoke forming the skull and the snake. "He did invent that spell himself," he ventured.

She looked at him with fiery eyes, "I really want to meet the Dark Lord, Rodolphus."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hope you're enjoying my interpretation of Bellatrix, Rosier, and Rodolphus. Read and review (:**

Chapter 5

Rodolphus soon learned that convincing Rosier to let Bellatrix join Lord Voldemort was going to be a terribly difficult task.

"No way," said Rosier, "She's a girl, and not just any girl, she's my cousin."

"But she's dead-set on it, Ev. She has the talent, and she knows what she's getting herself into."

"Does she? I don't know if she understands that one screw up could mean an hour of the Cruciatus Curse, and that when your mark burns, you better be to him as fast as you can, no matter what, or there will be hell to pay. I don't think she understands that we are to take his orders, no questions asked, and that we are to devote OUR ENTIRE LIVES TO HIM AND HIS CAUSE." They were in the old classroom again, and Rodolphus was suddenly very thankful for the charms that had been cast to prevent anyone from overhearing them.

"I think she can decide for herself. She's 17, you know."

"Yeah I know, but I still don't think it's a good idea. You don't know Bellatrix like I do, we grew up together. When she gets her head around something, it's obsessive. It's destructive and unhealthy. She has a lot of talent, and I just feel like the Dark Lord is the wrong place for her. I want what's best for her, isn't that what you want?"

Suddenly Rodolphus felt ill. He didn't like fighting with his best friend, and he didn't want to see anything happen to Bellatrix. Still, he reminded Rosier, as he had himself again and again that day, "She's 17, she can decide what she wants to do. I want what's best for her, but I think that what's best for her is what she desires."

Rosier spoke slowly. "Once he has her, he's got her for life."

"We'll be there, Ev, we'll take care of her."

Rosier sighed, understanding that Rodolphus was dead-set against him. He turned towards a chalk board and began to draw a swirling pattern.

"Day after tomorrow? It's just supposed to be only a few of us meeting him there, to review our training. We could bring her then."

Rodolphus smiled and walked up behind his best friend's shoulder. "Perfect."

Rosier put the chalk down. "It's Christmas Eve, shouldn't we be doing something slightly more fun?"

Rodolphus followed him out of the classroom, through long corridors and down several staircases. The boys grabbed their brooms and cloaks, and went out to have an airborne snowball fight, collecting friends to join them along the way. After about an hour, Rosier was summoned by the Dark Lord and ran off. It was not uncommon for only one of them to be called. Rodolphus passed the afternoon outside, and then came in and played a game of wizard's chess by the fire with Lucius Malfoy.

"So," said Lucius, as he moved a pawn, "Are you and Bellatrix, like, a thing now?"

"What?" asked Rodolphus, "Why would you say that?" His cheeks began to burn and he concentrated on the strategy the game required.

"Because, you're always seen together, you don't talk to anyone but Rosier and her, and you always get shy when she comes up."

"I'm talking to you right now. Besides, you little troll, what would you know about it?"

"I'm observant, and I have a book about it. Also, Bella's sister Narcissa tells me everything Bella tells her." He put a satisfied smirk on his face and Rodolphus felt the strong urge to punch the younger boy. "I mean, you have good taste, Rodolphus, I'll give you that." He was interrupted by Rosier and his brother Rabastan tapping him on the shoulder, telling him they needed him.

He followed them through the corridors and into their favorite empty classroom.

"What is it?" he asked, anxious due to their knit brows and furtive glances.

Rosier cleared his throat. "We won't be around for Christmas. The Dark Lord needs us to fulfill a mission for him that might last the rest of the week. We will be pretty far away, and doing some dangerous things, but I can't disclose any of the details to you." Rodolphus looked at the chalk board, and Rosier's drawing from earlier, which upon further inspection resembled a crystal ball.

"Alright then, good luck Ev, Rabastan," he looked grim, mirroring the bleak faces of his friend and brother. This was the first time that Rodolphus hadn't been chosen to go with either of them.

"How many were there, at the meeting? And why wasn't I picked?" Rodolphus asked.

"Not a lot, just those who he said needed some extra training. And he only chose us because we weren't giving him our full attention as he went over- again- the importance of meaning your curses."

"He didn't curse you did he?" Rodolphus looked fiercely at his younger brother, who shook his head no. Relieved, he hugged his friend and then his brother and said goodbye. They departed to the right as he turned left to go to the Great Hall for dinner.

When he got to the Slytherin table, he sat across from Bellatrix, who had been sitting alone, reading a book on dark creatures. She shut it as he sat down, and looked up at him expectantly. Rodolphus glanced around, but he needn't have been worried, no more than eight Slytherin students lined the table, and none sat near Rodolphus and Bellatrix.

He looked back at her hopeful face, and answered her unasked question. "He agreed to it, and we'll go the day after tomorrow, if you're sure."

"Oh, Rodolphus, I'm so sure! I've been studying and practicing my wandwork, and my legilimency." She chattered excitedly, and Rodolphus glanced at the windows of the Great Hall to see rain splash upon them.

"Evan and my brother are on a mission" he informed her, just as large quantities of food appeared before the places of the few students who were left at the castle.

"Do you know what they're doing?"

"Not a clue, you really can't talk about missions at all."

She nodded her understanding, and watched as he placed large pieces of meat and scoops of other foods on his plate. He was famished from the snowball fight that afternoon, which now seemed like it had happened ages ago.

She invaded his mind, but he didn't feel her prodding. He figured that she was waiting for him to show her something, although he didn't know what she wanted to see. He thought of a memory of him and her and Evan swimming in the Lake at the end of the last year, and of them laying out on a rock under the hot sun afterward. Suddenly he felt her dive deeper and he saw the Dark Lord, from the back, as he stood before a tiny muggle village. Their small houses were sent up in flames, and the muggles were being cursed and killed as the phrases "blood filth", "worthless", and "muggle waste" were shouted. He saw mothers begging for the lives of their children, and families terrified by the magic that they were so unfamiliar with. He heard the Dark Lord laugh as he watched and helped, until the scene faded away and he saw Bellatrix's face again.

"Why did he do that?" she asked.

"Burn the village? He does that a lot, for fun. He uses it as training, and he calls it 'purifying the race'."

Rodolphus could practically see her mind trying to work out the ethics of the situation. "They didn't choose to be muggles, but they are, and they're just so inferior. Is it much fun?"

"At first it was hard to do, it was hard to get a feel for it, but it grows on you. Now I find it enjoyable. I can take my anger out on these people, and I can seek the Dark Lord's favor at the same time."

She paused for a moment. "Have you ever killed anyone?" she asked quietly.

"Muggles, yes, not a wizard." Rodolphus began to devour his food, amazed at her skill of uncovering that deeply repressed memory in seconds. She picked up her book again and continued to read.

"Bella, eat some food."

"Leave me alone, Rodolphus, I'm reading."

He sighed, frustrated at her. "I know you want to know as much as you can as fast as you can, but if you don't eat, you won't be your strongest and the Dark Lord will think you're weaker than you are." She picked up a roll and absentmindedly nibbled it as she continued her reading.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Christmas arrived, and the remaining Slytherin students gathered in the common room for gifts. Bellatrix sat between Andromeda and Narcissa, unwrapping gifts from their parents.

"Hey Rod," asked Narcissa, "Where's Rabastan and Evan?" Bellatrix looked up nervously.

Rodolphus looked up at Narcissa and cleared his throat. "They both came down with Scrofungulus, so they'll be at St. Mungo's at least til the end of the week."

Andromeda pinched up her face at the mention of the disgusting disease. She then unwrapped a new set of quills and an expensive-looking set of new robes, among other trinkets. Narcissa stood up and moved some presents to a sofa, where she sat next to Lucius Malfoy and spoke quietly with him while they continued to unwrap gifts. Rodolphus took her vacated seat and sat to the right of Bellatrix. He unwrapped a new cauldron filled with sweets, a new scarf bearing the colors of his favorite Quidditch team, and a new rucksack. He was thankful for the latter gift, because his old one had a hole in it- torn while running in an underground passage to meet the Dark Lord. Bellatrix absentmindedly ran her fingers along the fabric of his scarf. He looked over to see what she received and gazed upon a new set of robes, like her sister, a set of books on mastering nonverbal magic, and a beautiful set of emerald earrings.

Suddenly, he was snapped out of his reverie as she shouted, "Aw, come on Lucius, quit trying to snog my sister right here in the middle of the common room!" Andromeda laughed as both Lucius and Narcissa turned a deep red, and moved several inches apart. Bellatrix grinned, and rose to go to breakfast. Rodolphus followed, and soon they reached the Great Hall. Although it was nearly empty, the Hall was chirping with the excited voices of students from all houses. Dumbledore sat at the front of the Hall, eating and watching the students with a twinkle in his eye. Rodolphus shivered; he always felt guilty when Dumbledore laid eyes on him.

He sat down next to Bellatrix, and was about to speak, when he was interrupted by a Ravenclaw fourth year, who tapped Bellatrix on the shoulder. She looked up at him with menacing eyes, and he stumbled backwards a few inches.

"Yes, Victor, I assume you have a message for me?" She said, as if challenging him to be there for any other purpose. Rodolphus smirked, liking how she could be completely pleasant to him one moment, and then perfectly rotten towards another student the next.

"Erm, well you see Bellatrix, Slughorn has asked me to remind you about the Christmas party he's hosting tonight in the dungeons. He says that it starts at 7, and you can bring a guest if you wish." Victor shrugged and looked at her expectantly.

"Alright then, I'll be there." She did not thank him for delivering the message.

Victor hastily said, "Very good," and then sped off.

"Ooh," teased Rodolphus, "Looks like Slughorn's favorite student is looking forward to a delightful night in his presence."

"Yeah well, you're coming with me."

Rodolphus sighed. He did not like the potions master, and the potions master never took a liking to Rodolphus either. He never excelled in brewing potions, not like Bellatrix, who was nearly president of the Slug Club the moment she got to Hogwarts.

"What if I don't want to go?" He practically whined at her.

"Well then, I suppose I'll have to put you under an Imperius Curse," she teased.

"You couldn't," he challenged her, "Even if you really wanted to." He knew this would upset her; Bellatrix rarely found magic that she was incapable of performing.

"I haven't tried, but I do think I could do it. Can you?"

"I can do it. Not on someone resisting me, but on a muggle or an animal, easily."

She sighed thoughtfully, and picked around at the food on her plate. "Would you let me try it on you? Just for a moment?" She looked up at him with pleading eyes, and he knew he would indulge her. He hoped that she would make him do anything too embarrassing. She should be allowed to try it, he thought, after all, Rosier had him and the other Slytherin boys practice that curse many times.

He stuffed a last forkful of food in his mouth and pushed his plate back. They stood up, and walked to their favorite classroom and cast the necessary enchantments to ensure privacy. She stood across the floor from him, and paused with her wand raised.

"Is there anything I need to know?" she asked, cautiously.

"No, you just need to concentrate on what you want me to do. You have total control, don't abuse it." He winked at her.

"I won't." She paused. "Rodolphus, do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"_Imperio!"_ Rodolphus suddenly felt fantastically calm. He felt happy and peaceful, like he had when the other boys had tried this spell on him. He could feel it intensifying though, and suddenly he could no longer concentrate, he just existed in the blissful state she cast him into. He felt his hand clutch some chalk, and his sleeve wipe away Rosier's drawing on the board. He felt his arm moving, doing what exactly he wasn't sure, all he could see was a mental image of his dark mark, and the rest didn't matter, because he was in such perfect pleasure. He dropped the chalk, and moved across the room. He ascended the stairs that led to the vacant office, and on the top ledge, he felt himself moving wildly, maybe he was dancing. He stood still for a moment, and then the bliss disappeared faster than it had begun.

He was staggered by the sudden change, and sat down on the ledge, drawing his knees up, suddenly feeling uncomfortably cold. Bellatrix narrowed her eyes, studying him, and walked up the stairs to where he sat.

"You feel OK, Rod?"

"Yeah I think so. That was a strong curse, Bella."

"How do you know?" She began to smile contentedly. He shivered and shook his head to clear it, standing up.

"Evan and some of the other guys practiced on me, and none of theirs were ever that strong. I felt as though nothing else mattered, I only wanted to stay in that pleasant place you put me in. I would have done anything, I didn't care."

She looked at him with wide eyes. A slow smile of sadistic pleasure crept up on her face. Bellatrix laughed, triumphant. She spun around to face him, her hair whipping, and he instinctively took a step back. She lowered her wand, however, and walked towards him slowly, until they were only inches apart. She looked up at him with shining eyes.

"Do you think he'll like me?" Rodolphus considered this.

"You know, Bella, I think he'll like you a lot." He placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her. She kissed him back for a few seconds, and then left the classroom, smiling. Rodolphus looked at the chalkboard. He had drawn (had he drawn?) a perfect replica of the dark mark that now lay dormant on his arm. He had drawn in fine detailing, and the scale was perfect. He took a deep breath, amazed, before cleaning the board with a spell.

Later that night, after changing into a neat set of robes, Rodolphus sat down before the fire in the Sytherin common room to wait for Bellatrix to come down to attend the Slug Club's Christmas party. She was probably chatting with her sisters up in the girls' dormitories, and wouldn't come down for several minutes.

Suddenly, the flames changed. Rodolphus looked behind him, but the common room was empty; most students were at the Christmas feast in the Great Hall. Rabastan Lestrange's face appeared in the fire, and Rodolphus's heart leaped at the sight of his brother.

"Is anyone around?" Rababstan asked quietly.

"No, they're at the feast. How are you?" Rodolphus had a million questions for his brother.

"Why aren't you there? I'm glad I found you here finally, I've been poking in for the last couple of hours."

"Bellatrix got invited to Slughorn's party, so she's dragging me to that. How are you though? How is it going?" Rodolphus pressed his brother for whatever information Rabastan would dare to release.

"We're alright. It looks like we'll be here a few days more though. We ran into some… not so friendly folk, but we managed to avoid any trouble."

Rodolphus sighed. "Where's Evan?"

"He's out stealing us some food for dinner. Merry Christmas, by the way."

"Yeah, you too. Wh-"

"I've got to go, someone's coming down here. See you soon!" Rabastan whispered the rest of his message and then quickly disappeared from the flames. A moment later, Bellatrix descended the steps and placed her had on Rodolphus's shoulder, shocking him.

"What's got you so jumpy?" she asked.

He turned to face her. She looked stunning in deep purple robes, laughing a bit. "Nothing, it's nothing." He replied, and stood.

They left the common room and walked through the underground corridors to the potions dungeon. It was dark, but lit festively, and there was holiday music playing. Guests lined the walls, sipping drinks and chattering loudly. Rodolphus and Bellatrix entered, and he watched as immediately both her hands were taken up in both of Slughorn's, who excitedly greeted her. He introduced her to several people, doubtlessly claiming her to be a prodigy among his students. Rodolphus slipped into the background, picking up a butterbeer and occupying himself with it, preparing for a long evening.

Rodolphus slipped into conversation with Francis Klein, a Ravenclaw seventh year who he didn't mind too much. After about twenty minutes however, he was pulled aside by Bellatrix, who ignored Francis completely, and led out into the hall. She continued to walk down the corridor and up the steps until she was sitting on a snowy bench in the courtyard. She looked distraught, although she would never cry in front of him. He dried the bench with a spell and then sat beside her.

"Bell, what happened?" he looked at her, concerned.

"Dumbledore." She answered.

"You were talking to Dumbledore?" he ventured a guess.

"Yeah, but he just, Rodolphus, he… ugh!"

"What did he talk to you about?"

"He asked me if I had considered what I wanted to do after Hogwarts. I told him I wasn't sure yet. I would probably get married, I mean, that's what my mother would encourage, and then I wasn't sure about what I'd like to do besides." Rodolphus's heartbeat quickened at the mention of Bellatrix getting married, but he shoved the thought to the back of his mind and focused on the current situation.

"So then," she continued, "He said that with my talents, he could easily get me a ministry job, maybe as an auror or travelling anywhere I wished. He said that many opportunities awaited me after Hogwarts. I told him thank you, but I never had much interest in becoming an auror. He asked me why, because I have skills in dueling and legilimens, and I get great marks in all the necessary classes, and I just told him it was something that I never wanted to do. He looked at me then, and I could swear, Rodolphus, he was looking right into me. Not into my thoughts exactly, because I knew he wasn't, but it was like he studied me and suddenly understood me. I suddenly felt sick and I needed to get away. He told me to think on it, because he wouldn't, he… he wouldn't want me falling into something dangerous and corrupting. He said that, that the ministry needs as many skilled witches and wizards as it can get these days, and each one that falls is a… a great loss." She looked down, picking at a small scar on her left hand. She shook her head, as if to clear it, and shivered slightly against the cold.

Rodolphus put his arm around her shoulders. "It will be alright. Dumbledore might get a little suspicious, but we'll be out of Hogwart's soon. You don't need to worry."

"I know. It just scared me when he said that. I'm glad we only have a semester left here, and then we can do what we want without anyone watching our every move."

"Me too. Come on, let's get back to the common room, you're freezing, and I'm starving. I need to break open that pack of sweets my mum sent." He took her hand and stood up. She walked with him into the castle and back down to the common room.

**Ok, so next chapter, Bellatrix meets Voldemort! **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"How much farther, Rodolphus?" asked Bellatrix, as she walked behind Rodolphus through the tunnel leading from Hogwart's to Hogsmeade Village.

"We're probably about halfway there, now." He continued moving at his rapid pace, eager to reach the destination so that they could apparate to Voldemort's dwelling, a muggle home he had overtaken as his own. The tunnel was bleak and rocky, and near impossible to see in without wandlight. He could hear Bellatrix moving quickly behind him, her excitement growing, her imagination feasting on whatever image of Voldemort it had manifested in the past week.

After several more minutes they emerged in the basement of an abandoned shop, and walked to the main level. After making sure the area was clear of anyone who might see them, Rodolphus grabbed Bellatrix's arm. "You ready?"

She nodded her consent. He pictured the iron gates of the Dark Lord's residence clearly in his mind, and then apparated with her at his side.

When they arrived, Bellatrix immediately turned in a complete circle, taking in her surroundings. Someone wearing a dark hooded cloak was drawing near down the crooked stone path that led up to the dilapidated house.

"Ah, Lestrange, and…?" the hooded figure trailed off.

"Bellatrix Black." Responded Rodolphus, motioning to Bellatrix.

"A Black. Hmm…" the figure opened the gateway just as two more men apparated to the yard just beyond the edge of the gate. He turned away and walked back up the path, the four newcomers trailing behind. One more came, and then the gate shut tightly the moment he had crossed the threshold. The men spoke in murmurs, the clouds of their breath condensing in the air the only evidence that they were speaking at all. The leader raised his left forearm to the front door, and it opened upon the presence of his dark mark. The group shuffled into a small front hall, with crumbling plaster walls and a dark maroon carpet. There were shelves of books lining the walls, and an ornate banister lining a staircase that led to the upper floors. The house looked to have been quite nice, but had fallen into disrepair.

Rodolphus looked at Bellatrix. She took off her cloak, and draped it over her arm. She glanced around the house, and looked back at him, confident as always. Her shoulders were back, and her hair was in a loose bun. She, as well as everyone else in the group, donned black robes. He thought she looked spectacular.

"Wait here," he said to her, motioning to a room off the front hall. "This won't be long, and then he'll see you." She nodded and moved into the next room. The rest of the group proceeded further back into the house, towards a long table they all took seats around. The seats were mismatched, and the table had a long crack running down the center. Candle wax dripped onto the wood.

Voldemort cleared his throat. "Today is December 26, 1968. It had been two days since Rosier and Lestrange left, and they have not completed their task. It has been three weeks that I've waited for word back from some certain contacts, with no response. It has been 4 months since I've taken a new lot under my training, and they have not delivered as I had hoped. It has been one year since we've taken up this residence, and our oppression hasn't nearly reached the heights I dreamed for it." Voldemort hit the table with his palms. Several of the men sat up straighter, shocked. Rodolphus tried to calm himself, he feared the Dark Lord would take out his anger in the form of punishment.

"What shall we do about this?" Voldemort looked at the men expectantly, but none dared to answer. "No ideas? No thoughts you would like to share?" he taunted them, his dark eyes surveying the scared faces of the men who served him.

"As this next year begins, I want the wizarding world to feel our presence. I want us to build up alliances with the giants and the werewolves, any beasts who will accept the cause. I want people in terror, preparing for something big. I want to be known."

The men along the table nodded and looked down, studying the patterns of the melted wax. "Very well," Voldemort continued. "Go downstairs and begin to practice dueling, I shall join you in time." The men got up and walked down a creaky staircase at the back of the house. Rodolphus trailed behind.

"My Lord." He said, bowing.

"Rodolphus. Rosier said you were bringing a new recruit. You may bring him in." Voldemort glanced towards the doorway.

"My Lord, I've actually brought a girl, Bellatrix Black." Rodolphus quickly bowed his head, avoiding Voldemort's gaze. Voldemort stood up from his chair at the head off the table.

"How very… interesting, Rodolphus. Let's hope she is a talented witch."

"Oh, she is my Lord."

"I shall be the judge of that, Rodolphus, bring her in." Rodolphus reddened and hurried from the room. He took Bellatrix by the wrist and led her back into the meeting room. She had been reading over the titles on the bookshelf in the room he left her in; she now eagerly followed him to meet the Dark Lord.

"My Lord," she breathed and bowed. She slowly stood back up with her shoulders back and chest out.

"Bellatrix Black," he said her name, as if tasting it. "Am I, truly, your lord already?"

"If you shall accept me as one of your followers, I shall be loyal to you until the day I die." She flashed her dark eyes towards Rodolphus, who felt a chill when they crossed his own stare.

As soon as Bellatrix had turned back towards Voldemort, he spoke softly, "_legilimens_."

Rodolphus watched as Voldemort invaded her mind. He saw that the Dark Lord was concentrating tremendously, and had to fight the urge to smile as he realized Bellatrix's Occlumency skills were challenging the Dark Lord.

"My, Miss Black," said Voldemort, breaking the connection. "You know how to keep your thoughts to yourself. Never have I encountered anyone whose mind was harder to penetrate."

"I've worked hard at it, my Lord." She beamed up at him, prepared to prove herself.

"Well, I suppose we should go downstairs and see how your wandwork is looking."

"Yes, my Lord" she said, bowing her head, and falling into step behind Rodolphus.

They descended the rickety stairs at the back of the house and found themselves in a large room that spanned the length and width of the floors above it. Columns supported the room from collapse, but there were no furnishings. No windows looked to the outside, the only light came from candles hung along the perimeter. The men, who had been talking or dueling before they saw Voldemort, immediately stopped and gave him their attention upon noticing him.

"Have you, Miss Black, ever performed a Cruciatus Curse?" asked Voldemort. The death eaters in the room instinctively stepped back fearfully, Rodolphus included.

"No, my Lord, but I'm sure I could." Rodolphus thought that she could too; she had picked up the Imperius Curse in record time.

"Why don't you try it, on any of these men?" Voldemort asked her in a tempting voice. He stepped back to watch her attempt with interest, while Bellatrix stepped forward, a sadistic smile growing on her face. She paused, looking around.

She stopped, Rodolphus noticed, in front of Dolohov, an older and more experienced Death Eater. She raised her wand and yelled, "_Crucio!_" just as he cast a shield charm. But she wasn't aiming for him. She swung her arm around and cast the jet of light hit Goyle full force. He fell to the ground and yelled as he curled up into a ball. He put his hands in his hair and began to tug, kicking his feet out at nothing. His yelling became louder and then it stopped. Voldemort had cast a shield charm between Bellatrix and Goyle. She pocketed her wand and walked back against the wall, in line with the men aside from Goyle. Goyle himself lay on the ground panting, his face pale and covered in a cold sweat. His lip was bleeding where he had bit it to try to combat his pain or the yelling, Rodolphus was unsure of which, and dark circles appeared under his eyes, the spell physically draining him, although it had only lasted about ten seconds.

"Very impressive, Miss Black." Voldemort paced the room. Rodolphus looked to Bellatrix. Her eyes were shining, following Voldemort's every step.

They stayed downstairs for a greater portion of the afternoon. Voldemort had some spells to work on with the younger Death Eaters and Bellatrix, and everyone was to practice dueling. Bellatrix won in duels with everyone except Dolohov, who caught her off guard with a nasty hex which then allowed him to disarm her.

As they were leaving, Voldemort looked once more at Bellatrix. "Come back with Rodolphus and train with him, and if it is what you desire, you shall be a Death Eater very soon indeed."

Bellatrix beamed and bowed to him before leaving with the rest.

Once they were safely back in the common room, Bellatrix grabbed Rodolphus's robes and looked up at him. "Wasn't that amazing?"

"I think he really liked you, Bell," replied Rodolphus, a bit nervously. "You understand that it's not just winning his favor, though, right? You need to perform, going on dangerous missions and dueling people that aren't on the same side as you."

"Yeah, I know. I can do it though, I can do it for him. I will be his best, his most loyal Death Eater." Rodolphus wasn't sure where her frenzied passion came from, but it made him very uneasy. She was pacing back and forth, untying her loose bun, before summoning a book from her dormitory and sitting down before the fire to read it. Rodolphus glanced at the cover: _Magick Moste Evile_. He shuddered at her newfound devotion, and stalked off to his dormitory.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Rodolphus blinked in the early morning light of January 2nd, 1969. He got out of bed, and changed into his black robes in a sleep-induced stupor. It was only when his dark mark prickled more incessantly that he became fully awake, aware of Voldemort's impatience. He was tying his shoes, when Crabbe snapped awake in the bed next to him. Goyle was soon to follow, the two of them nearly always together.

He walked downstairs to see Rosier and Rabastan waiting in the common room. They had returned from their mission the previous night, cold, tired, and hungry, but otherwise unscathed aside from minor cuts and bruises. Walden MacNair, a sixth year, stood behind them. Rodolphus sent a patronus charm to Bellatrix's dormitory, his way of telling her that Voldemort was calling them.

Crabbe rounded on Rodolphus, who quickly sized up his classmate, in case their conversation came to blows. "I don't see why you have to bring her every time we go to him." said Crabbe.

"I don't see how it affects you in the least," responded Rodolphus, as calmly as he could while he saw Crabbe reaching for his wand.

"The Dark Lord doesn't need little girls!" yelled Crabbe, obviously disgusted with Bellatrix's constant presence among them.

"You sure you're not just jealous, Crabbe? She seems to be better than you at well, everything except being a fat cow." Rodolphus dared to tease his classmate. He was saved from Crabbe's retaliation by Bellatrix descending the stairs at that moment, hair disheveled, but looking incredible as always. She stood beside Rodolphus, glancing around at the Slytherins gathered in the common room.

"Everything alright?" she asked.

Crabbe shot her and Rodolphus a dirty look then turned and marched out, MacNair and Goyle following quickly. "Everything's fine." Rodolphus assured her, but inside, he felt very anxious, for he was positive that whatever Crabbe had started was not over yet.

Rosier, Rabastan, Rodolphus and Bellatrix quickly followed the path Crabbe, Goyle and MacNair had taken moments before. They traversed the tunnel in silence, marks burning. When they got to the shop, they apparated and then quickly entered Voldemort's dwelling. Rodolphus thought the word home was inapplicable for any place Voldemort lived.

They entered, and gathered around Voldemort's long ugly table. A satisfied grin filled his face at his seats nearly all filled. Surrounding the table sat Rosier, Rabastan, Rodolphus, Bellatrix, Nott, Dolohov, Avery, Mulciber, Crabbe, Goyle, MacNair, and Karkaroff. The younger boys bowed their heads, intimidated by both Voldemort and the older wizards. The older men sat up straight, but folded their hands deep in their laps of looked down or across the room. Only Bellatrix sat up proudly and gazed at her master in reverence.

"Rosier and Lestrange, I am most pleased to hear of your success." Voldemort looked at the boys intently as he said this, it was as if he was feeling each word over in his mouth before it emerged, a bit higher in pitch then Rodolphus would have expected.

"Thank you, my lord," replied Evan, as Rabastan, the shyer of the two, bowed his head in agreement.

"You have performed just as I had hoped you would. Now is the time for us to continue in this manner. To bring our regime to greater heights!" he paused, surveying them, his eyes settling on the only female in the room. "Bellatrix, if you would come here?" She obliged him, and stood, all eyes following her as she walked to where he sat at the head of the table.

"You have masterfully completed your training. You have promised to serve me with great loyalty and devotion. I know you shall be a most pleasing asset to our cause. It is now time for you to receive the highest honor."

"Thank you, my Lord!" gushed Bellatrix, falling to her knees at his side. Rodolphus looked around. Some men were in awe of the gentility with which Voldemort had just addressed Bellatrix, and others looked disgusted she would soon be their equal. Silence befell the room as Voldemort muttered an incantation and suddenly the Dark Mark began to snake its way along her arm. Bellatrix squeezed her eyes shut in pain and her face paled, but Voldemort held steady onto her wrist and finished what he had begun. He carelessly released her once her finished, and she slowly stood up, examining her arm, her fingers tracing the spot he had recently held. Her eyes were glassy.

"Thank you, oh thank you my Lord! I shall be your most loyal servant!" she quieted and sat back in the same chair she had vacated earlier. MacNair made a face and Crabbe and Goyle snickered. Voldemort turned his attention to them.

"Something funny?" he looked at them, daring them to answer. They all remained silent and looked at the stained wood on the table.

"I seem to recall that Miss Black can perform a more effective Cruciatus Curse, Imperius Curse, and possesses far better Occlumency and Legilimency skills than any of you." Rodolphus saw Crabbe clench his fist under the table.

"I also seem to recall how you failed miserably on the last mission I sent you on."

"My Lord, it was near impossible! They were too powerful and-" Crabbe was cut off.

"YOU DARE DEFY ME?" Voldemort's rage had finally shown itself, and he stood up from the table, pointing his want at Crabbe, who immediately quivered in fear. Voldemort hit him with the Conjunctivitus Curse, causing him to grab his face as his eyes painfully swelled shut. "Get out of my sight!" yelled Voldemort, and Roldolphus watched, entranced but disgusted, as Crabbe strumbled out of his chair, his sight gone, and groped around on the floor until he found the doorway out of the room. He was hear exiting into the living room, and collapsing on the floor, panting.

Voldemort had managed to reign in any other anger he possessed, and the meeting finished as usual after about an hour.

Bellatrix caught up to Rodolphus as he was putting his scarf on, preparing to exit into the snowy yard. "Hey, Rodolphus, I need to stay here a little longer. I need to learn about missions and the organization and other things, so I'll be here for a while. I'll meet you back in the common room later?"

Rodolphus saw how excited she looked. He would never understand it, the way she was always so enthusiastic and prepared to learn something new. "Alright, good luck." He turned away and she grabbed the cuff of his robes. He turned back towards her.

"Thanks," she said to him, beaming, and gave him a small kiss. She turned back down the hallway towards the back of the house, leaving Rodolphus bewildered but surprised. He made his way back to school, chatting with Rosier and Rabastan. Crabbe was talking noisily behind him, his eyes fixed by Dolohov, who luckily knew the countercurse. The incident, it seemed, had subdued him for the time being, something that Rodolphus was grateful for.

Rodolphus spent the rest of the afternoon reading a Quidditch book and working on his Astronomy homework. The common room was empty by the time Bellatrix got back, the moon shining bright in the sky. He looked up at her, his eyes adjusting to the darkness after having stared at the fire for several minutes. She looked terrible. Her robes were wet, and her hair disheveled and matted. She had a cut on her lip and another on her forehead. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she shivered as she stood in the doorway of the common room. His heart pounding, he quickly got up and ran to her side. He sat her down by the fire, and pulled a blanket around her.

"Bella, what happened?" he was unsure of what to do, thinking maybe he should bring her to Madam Wolfe, but not knowing how to explain. She just sat in the chair that overwhelmed her frame, shaking her head 'no' as she silently cried.

"Do you want me to get your sisters?" he thought maybe they would comfort her.

"No," she croaked, "Don't wake them up."

"Bella, who did this to you?" She pulled out her wand, and transfigured an inkwell sitting on the table into a small vial. She picked it up, and used her wandtip to draw a memory from her mind and place it in the vial. She met his eyes, and placed the vial in his hands. Her fingers were freezing. He waited until she was asleep, curled by the fire, and then exited the common room.


	9. Chapter 9

**a/n: Warning: This chapter contains violence.**

**Also, the story is really going to pick up from this chapter on. Voldemort's plan is going to form, and Bellatrix and Rodolphus's relationship is going to grow. Let me know what you think.**

Chapter 8

Rodolphus stood before two large doors which hadn't existed moments before. He was impressed with his own thinking, and had he not been so desperate to see the memories Bellatrix was sharing with him, he would have been feeling quite proud. But at this moment, as he stood outside of the Room of Requirement, all he felt was dread for what he would soon see.

He had paced the corridors for a few minutes, thinking of where he could find a pensieve. The only people he knew who had them were Voldemort and Dumbledore. Neither seemed like a good person to ask for a favor at this moment. Voldemort's pensieve sat on a stone table behind his chair in the meeting room. He saw Dumbledore's when he was being punished for being caught out of bed at night in the restricted section of the library. He had wandered into the restricted section after returning a book about Hogwarts, where incidentally, he learned of the Room of Requirement and its usefulness.

He entered the room, and sure enough, a great table stood before him with a shallow basin floating about an inch above it. Rodolphus, ever nervous, glanced around himself before pouring the contents of the vial inside the pensieve and plunging his head in after.

Once the spinning stopped, he could see himself standing on the edge of a scene that took place in a graveyard. Looking to the east about a mile or so, he could see Voldemort's house. Judging from the position of the sun, Rodolphus reckoned it was about three in the afternoon. He looked to the people in the scene. Bellatrix stood in the middle, disarmed, with MacNair, Crabbe, Goyle, and some other, hooded figures preventing her escape. Rodolphus figured they were more Death Eaters, but they could also have been more Slytherin boys. She was several inches shorter than even the smallest of the boys surrounding her, and Rodolphus knew that she knew she stood no chance against these wizards who outnumbered and outweighed her.

One of the hooded figures muttered a spell that bound Bellatrix to a tree hanging over some gravestones. He had a familiar voice- Nott! These men were other, older Death Eaters, helping Crabbe. Rodolphus knew that he could not change anything, that he was merely an observer of a memory that already happened, however he still ran closer and tried to grab another of the hooded figures. His hand passed through the man. The man, however, did at that time choose to turn around, facing Rodolphus and Goyle, and Rodolphus stumbled backwards, terrified. The man was wearing a silver mask, with holes for his eyes, and a slits for his mouth. The mask was horrific looking. It made the man, who Rodolphus knew from his wand to be Dolohov, look inhuman. Even Goyle shuddered at the sight.

Crabbe wandered over to Bellatrix, aiming and executing a good kick to her stomach. She coughed, and struggled to breath. He crouched down and tilted her chin up towards him. "Bella," he began, in a falsely sweet voice.

"Don't call me Bella!" she yelled back at him, and Rodolphus was surprised she didn't spit on him. Crabbe didn't miss a beat.

"_Crucio!"_ he called, watching as she shook under the spell, as pain writhed through her body. She was biting her lips, holding back the screams Rodolphus knew she was too proud to release. He wished in his head, that she wouldn't act so tough. He wished that she would just for once, act weak, so that they would think they'd gotten her worse than they did, and leave her alone. He knew that she would never ever do that. That was what a coward would do. That is what Rodolphus would do.

He lifted the spell after about fifteen seconds. Bellatrix had broken some of the ropes binding her to the tree as she struggled to escape the pain he cast on her, but she hadn't screamed. She sat there, panting, with blood coming from several spots on her lips that she bit too deeply into. He noticed she bled on her arms also, where the ropes had cut in as she thrashed around.

"Now, now, Bella, play nice," cooed Crabbe, as some of the other Death Eaters snickered. "It just isn't right that we can work our asses off, day and night, to remain in the Dark Lord's favor, and suddenly, a pretty little girl comes in, who can pick up spells real quick, and we're all pushed to the side. You're made a Death Eater in record time. You're made to humiliate us by casting unforgivable on us when we didn't do anything. You spend hours of time alone with him, and what do you think we assume you're doing?" Here all the men laughed. Rodolphus grew more and more angry at the men and frustrated at the fact that he could do nothing to change this scene which in reality had already played out.

"I never-" Bellatrix began to defend herself but was stopped.

"_Crucio!"_ cried a third hooded man and MacNair. The combined force of the spells made Bellatrix scream immediately. She quickly fell from the last of the bindings and writhed in the dirt and snow that covered the gorund. MacNair stopped after about thirty seconds, her screams becoming hoarse. The hooded figure continued until Crabbe put an arm to his chest to stop him. Rodolphus reckoned she had been cursed for well over a minute. His Bellatrix was face down in the dirt, with dark circles under her eyes. She sobbed quietly, her mouth forming and reforming the word, 'stop'. Her fingers were raking the dirt, pulling her into a sort of ball. Her robes were covered in mud. He was seething.

"Bellatrix. Can you understand me?" asked Crabbe, still in authority, but Rodolphus could hear the hint of panic in his voice.

"Yes." Was her gruff reply.

"This can all stop. But you can't continue this behavior, acting all superior to us. You can't just come in and suddenly think you're his most loyal, his best. You have to earn that position."

She looked up at him, grabbing a nearby gravestone and pulling herself up. "I don't have to prove anything to you," she said. "You're just a bully, the lot of you are! I am his most devoted, his most loyal, you shall see, you'll all see!"

"_Reducto!"_ cried Crabbe, and the gravestone she was leaning on blew to pieces with the impact of his curse. Chunks of stone hit her, one cutting right above her eye. "_Crucio!_" he called, and Rodolphus shuddered. He wished he was back with Bellatrix now, comforting her.

And suddenly it stopped. Crabbe looked, wide eyed, down at his arm, as the dark mark was burning a sharp black. Several others checked theirs as well, and many apparated to the gates of the house. Crabbe tossed Bellatrix's wand back at her as the others ran off, apparating to other places. Before she could defend herself he stunned her, then he too apparated to the mansion, clutching his burning arm. Voldemort must have been very angry about something.

Rodolphus waited, watching for several minutes before she stirred, growing more and more anxious. When she did, she got up slowly, and stood looking around, confused. The sun had sunken lower, and it looked to be nearly dusk. Rodolphus didn't trust her to apparate safely in her state, and apparently neither did she for she began to walk. He followed behind her, without really walking; the forces of the memory seeming to carry him along behind her. She got to the edge of the graveyard, which was on a hill, and exited, through an iron gate. She walked back towards the distant light and din of a village that displayed its presence past a layer of trees.

Bellatrix coughed and leaned on a tree. She slowly lowered herself down. After a few minutes she continued towards the village. Snow was falling down hard now, and she shivered as she entered the town square. A few people meandered about, so Bellatrix quickly turned down an alley. She used a summoning charm to produce food and water for herself. She hadn't eaten all day, since she'd been out since Rodolphus woke her with his patronus. Still, she only nibbled on some bread and fruit, and took a long drink of water, using some of it to wash blood and dirt from her hands and face. She lit a magical fire to warm herself, and started off again around eight at night, according to the clock in the town square.

Once she was back in the trees, she apparated to the shop in Hogsmeade where the tunnel to Hogwarts began. Rodolphus, following her memory, followed along. The apparation weakened her, he could tell. She stumbled into the tunnel, and tripped several times. It took nearly twice as long to get back to the castle. The snow that had settled on her robes melted in the underground tunnel, and she shivered from the cold. She wandered slowly back to the common room and the memory faded.

Rodolphus pulled his head out of the pensieve, and felt lightheaded. He fell back into a large armchair, and was grateful for the Room of Requirement's knowing nature to provide him the chair. He rubbed his large hands across his face and then back through his hair. He felt shocked that members of his house would do this to their classmate, and fellow Death Eater's would assist them. And out of envy.

After a few minutes, he put the memory back in the vial and exited the room, returning to the common room. He woke Bellatrix up.

"We should try to heal those," he said, pointing to the cuts on her face.

She nodded, then stood and removed her robes so she was standing in a shirt and skirt. He saw deep cuts on her arms reveal themselves to him. He muttered incantations, and the cuts closed, but not perfectly. He was never great at healing spells. She winced, and he felt terrible, but he continued until he had closed each one.

She left to bathe and he sat before the fire, reading the same line of her forgotten book over and over because he could not concentrate. About a half hour later, she returned in a black nightgown, her hair dried with a charm but forgotten, falling limply around her face. Neither Rodolphus nor Bellatrix spoke. She sat next to him on the small couch which he resided on before the fire. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and cried. She cried quietly, but her body shook with sobs, and Rodolphus felt awful listening to them. He held her until she stopped, perturbed by her sudden change into someone who needs to be comforted.

When she was finished, she looked at up at him. No, Rodolphus felt, into him. "Don't say a word." She warned, her voice cracking. "Not to Rabastan, not to Evan, not to a teacher, or to Him, not to anyone, alright?"

Rodolphus paused, but he knew that she had to make this call. "Alright." He agreed.

"And Rodolphus?"

"Yeah, Bell?"

"Not a word to any of them either. Don't act like you know it happened." She sniffled, and looked down, picking at her nail.

"Really, Bella, I can't get Crabbe or any of them back?"

"You can get them back, just don't say what it's for. I don't want any more trouble. Don't yell at Crabbe of any of them for what they did; don't do anything like that, ok?"

"Yeah, alright Bella."

"Thanks." She kissed him deeply, and then stood up. "Night." She said quietly, and retreated the steps to her dormitory.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry, I haven't updated in a few days, but here's a new chapter, with Narcissa! Enjoy (:**

Chapter 10

The morning after Rodolphus's visit to the pensieve, he awoke feeling very anxious. It was the last day before term was set to begin again. He felt around on his nightstand until his fingers grasped his wand, and then he shoved the covers off himself. He felt the need to take precautions- he wasn't sure if Crabbe still meant to punish him.

Inherently he hadn't, because all signs pointed to Crabbe already having headed down to breakfast. Rodolphus changed and was heading down the stairs just as Rosier awoke. "Hey, Rod?" asked Rosier.

"Yeah, Ev?" replied Rodolphus as he watched his groggy friend try to remember what he had meant to ask.

"Is everything ok? I mean, between you and Crabbe and MacNair and Bella?"

"Yeah, I think so, but who knows." Rodolphus shrugged and headed down the stairs. He wanted to check on Bellatrix.

When he got down to the common room, he found her already changed and wide awake in stunning emerald robes. The cuts on her face were mostly healed, and the cuts on her arms were covered. Rodolphus still saw bruises on her hands and face and dark circles under her eyes. He figured those would only go away with time. Despite the lingering marks of her attack, she had regained her air of arrogance and superiority that somehow reassured him as they walked down to breakfast together.

"You sleep ok?" he inquired, after about a minute of comfortable silence.

"Fine. You?" she said as she picked up the pace, forcing him to walk slightly behind her.

"Yeah, had a weird dream about Slughorn playing Quidditch…" he trailed off. She laughed a bit, but her smile quickly faded as she walked into the Great Hall and spotted her assailants. She replaced it with a look of haughty superiority, and sat beside her sister Narcissa. Rodolphus sat across from them, several seats down from any other Slytherins, one of the advantages of winter break.

Bellatrix read the Daily Prophet and sipped some tea while Rodolphus quickly scooped eggs and sausage onto his plate. Narcissa was making a racket cutting up her piece of ham, and Rodolphus glared at her to make her stop, but she looked at him desperately- it had been a ploy to get his attention.

"What is it?" he mouthed silently, astute to Narcissa's intention of not gaining Bellatrix's attention.

"Come with me after." She replied mutely, and he nodded his consent. He only hoped that whatever she needed didn't have to do with the Malfoy boy.

As it turned out, Lucius was not what Narcissa wanted to discuss. Rodolphus didn't need to think of an excuse to tell Bellatrix, because right after breakfast she dashed off to the library. He walked with Narcissa to the owlery, and stood gazing out over the ledge. She stood beside him, a good foot shorter, tugging her blonde hair nervously between her fingers.

"What's going on with Bellatrix?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what happened last night?" she looked up at him with large, worried eyes. "She had terrible nightmares, I could tell. I think something bad happened."

Rodolphus's jaw twitched, but he did not speak at first. He couldn't tell the truth to Narcissa. She was only thirteen, and barely anyone knew of what was going on with Voldemort. "I- I don't know, Narcissa."

She looked down. "Something's going on. Not just last night, but since the beginning of break. She's been distant, she's been in the library, or with you and Evan sneaking out-"

"How do you know we're sneaking out?"

"Because she always misses meals and leaves and comes into the common rooms at times when she knows there's no one in the corridors. Sometimes she has dirt all over her boots, and if she just went outside, it would be snow."

Rodolphus was surprised with the younger girl's shrewdness. Without waiting for him to reply, she continued. "You're with Him, I'd bet my wand on it. She is too, aw Bella! She's going to get herself put away or worse by getting mixed up in that. Lucius says he's joining up as soon as he can. I wish I'd have stopped her. I wish I'd have figured it out before right now." She closed her eyes. A few seconds later, Rodolphus noticed her crying.

"Aw, Narcissa, don't cry now." He sighed. "It's alright. Bella's a great witch, she'll be fine. Ev and I'll look out for her too."

She stemmed her tears and hiccupped, looking up at him after a moment the same way that Bellatrix did. Nervously, she asked, "It wasn't Him, was it? He wasn't the one that caused those nightmares?" She had asked him in such a way it was as if to ask him to reassure her that Voldemort could not be so evil as to subject his followers to terrible night scares. She wanted to know the dreams came from somewhere else.

Rodolphus nodded. "I can't say what it is, but it's not him."

Narcissa looked at him grimly. She nodded also. She then opened her mouth to speak again, but stopped. Rodolphus saw the slightest hint of a grin as she shut her mouth again.

"What were you going to say, Narcissa?" asked Rodolphus teasingly, yet taking full advantage of his imposing, large stature.

She blushed, and backed away a couple of steps. "I don't know. I mean, I was just gonna ask if, you know, once you've left Hogwart's and all, if you had any plans. Like maybe, I don't know, if you had thought about being with my sister." She blushed deeper as she said the end of the phrase.

"I don't know," he joked, "It would depend on how you felt about that, Narcissa."

"Oh," she said, taken aback, "I suppose it would be good, I mean, my sister does like you quite a bit."

"Oh yeah?" he challenged.

"Last night," she said, somber again, "When she was having those terrible nightmares, she looked like she was terribly frightened and like someone was trying to hurt her, and she kept mumbling your name. You can never tell her I told you though, or she'd curse me!"

Rodolphus laughed at the truth of the statement but promised not to tell. He felt suddenly excited by the news of Bellatrix calling his name in the dream. He said goodbye and thank you to Narcissa and dashed down the owlery steps, possibly to go take a ride on his broomstick and revel in this terrific news. He was stopped in his tracks, however, by a familiar prickle on his forearm, summoning him to his master's side…


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

When Rodolphus finally arrived, panting, to Voldemort's side, he found that Bellatrix was already there, kneeling before her master. He took up the familiar position beside her, and bowed her head, not daring to shoot her a questioning glance. Not that she would return it: when they were in Voldemort's presence, all of Bellatrix's attention was focused on her master, to proving herself a most devoted servant. It seemed that Bellatrix and he were the only ones summoned, for Voldemort began to speak without waiting for anyone else to enter his mansion.

"I have a mission for the two of you to complete." Bellatrix inhaled excitedly, Rodolphus sighed nervously, too silent for his master to hear. Both raised their faces questioningly to Voldemort's eerie grin.

"It should only take you one night, maybe two. Go back to school during the day if you need another night. Begin tomorrow, after your classes. Term resumes, I believe?" when they nodded, he continued. Rodolphus became perplexed and nervous as he listened to the detailed instructions of their mission. It seemed simple, yet terrifying. They were to go to a certain cave near the coast of a certain place, Rodolphus couldn't be sure of where, and create inferi, which they were to leave in the lake that already existed in the cave. They were to instruct the inferi to guard the center of the lake. The bodies which they were reanimating were already at the location, and Rodolphus had a feeling he knew now what his brother and his friend had been doing for the past week. They were assured that there was nothing there yet to guard, that this was a work in progress, but this was a very important project of Voldemort's. Bellatrix grew more and more eager as she understood more of Voldemort's plan, and she was quick to praise and thank him for giving her such an occasion to prove herself to him.

"For your own sake, you should hope I am not disappointed in your work. I can have nothing but the best magic at work in this cave." He said, as means of dismissal. Bellatrix and Rodolphus got up and left the room. They apparated back to Hogsmeade and did not speak until they entered the tunnel.

"I think I'll head to the library when we get back." Said Bellatrix, with the haughty air Rodolphus was used to hearing.

"Yeah, I'll probably join you. I need to do some research too."

"Have you ever…?" she trailed off, but Rodolphus understood her implication.

"Yeah, I did it a few times with Him."

"Me too. It's hard." Rodolphus grew more anxious. He didn't like to hear that making inferi was hard for the infamous Bellatrix Black, who mastered all magic very quickly. "That's why I need to read up on it." She finished.

Bellatrix went right to the library when they returned, and Rodolphus joined her after eating some dinner. He placed a plate with a slice of pie on it next to her open book, in front of about nine other books she had gathered on the table. She was sitting out of the view of the librarian, so Rodolphus didn't worry about the strict woman seeing the food. Bellatrix was at the corner table because she was reading books solely from the restricted section. Rodolphus picked one up, and found a chapter on inferi. The illustrations gave him chills, and the writing was most definitely by a most dark wizard. Bellatrix ate the pie slowly as she flipped through the pages of the largest tome, eventually making a sound of understanding, or stopping to yawn.

Finally, they gathered their belongings and went back to the dormitories. Bellatrix let her hair out of the bun she had it up in all day, and let her guard down as well, once they were safely back in the common room. Her shoulders fell forward a bit, and her face went slack, showing how small she actually was, and how exhausted she felt on the inside. Rodolphus said goodnight to her, placing his hand on her arm. She grabbed his arm gently, and after checking that they were alone, turned him towards herself, and lowered her forehead to just below his shoulder. He felt her sigh.

"Rod, what if we fail this mission?" Her confidence was temporarily gone. Worry lines etched themselves onto her face, and her dark eyes bore into his, probing him for an honest answer.

"Well, if we fail, He will be very upset, and punish us for our failures. He won't value us as much, or trust us with great missions. It wouldn't be good, but we could survive it. But, come on now, you're Bellatrix Black. If anyone can pull off this mission, it's you. You'll get the hang of it, and make him so proud of you. He already loves you."

She laughed despite her outward worry. "I think love is the wrong word, Rodolphus. The Dark Lord does not love anyone." Rodolphus could swear he heard a wistful sigh in there somewhere. As they both muttered their conversation, they began to take note of their closeness. Rodolphus looked down at their hips which were touching, and then up higher at Bellatrix's face, gazing at his own.

"_I _love you, Bella." She looked surprised, then incredibly pleased. She kissed him languidly on the lips, and then whispered, "Goodnight, Rodolphus," before walking up the dormitory stairs, leaving him staring in her wake.

The next day, classes began again. Rodolphus did not have time to think about anything but schoolwork as he tried to stay organized between handing in holiday assignments, jotting down new assignments, and transcribing notes for the coming semester in each of his classes. Each professor gave a long speech about the importance of getting a head start on studying for N.E.W.T. exams, and that only caused Rodolphus to panic even more. He saw Bellatrix twice, in potions and transfiguration. She gave him a jaunty smile each time; the words exchanged the night before still running through Rodolphus's head each time he looked at her.

At dinner, Rodolphus told his brother and Rosier of the mission he was going on with Bellatrix. A few people stopped by the table to congratulate his brother and friend on their recovery from scrofungulus. Bellatrix told the girls in her dormitory she would be in the library late, so they shouldn't worry if she's not in bed at a reasonable time.

At seven thirty, they left the castle. They took the tunnel to Hogsmeade, and then Bellatrix took Rodolphus as she apparated to the location of the cave. She could concentrate on the place better than he could, so they figured he shouldn't try it on his own. As soon as Rodolphus could shake off the lingering effects of Apparation, he noticed it was pouring rain. In just a few seconds, Bellatrix, who had been wearing thin black robes, was already drenched, her hair clinging to her face. She pointed towards a massive rock about four hundred yards away. He took her hand and they began to run at it. Once they were inside the cave, she looked along the back wall for a smaller entrance. Once she found one, they both entered and gazed upon a beautiful yet horrific scene.

A pristine lake lay inside the deeper room of the cave, reflecting eerie patterns on the walls. Beautiful crystals hung from the ceiling. Yet beside the lake lay the sordid corpses of hundreds of people. Bellatrix took a step back, and both she and Rodophus instinctively raised their wands. After a moment of investigating the morbid scene that lay before them, both slowly walked forward. Bellatrix cast the spell which reanimated the closest cadaver, and it began to tremble. Slowly, it rose into a crooked standing position.

Rodolphus looked at Bellatrix, her whole body was shaking, and the color was drained from her face. She exhaled a shaky breath and concentrated harder, directing the inferius with her mind. It made a jagged few steps to the edge of the water, and sunk below the surface. When it got to the opposite shore, it remained underneath the water and sunk into a protective crouch, guarding the land with nothing on it. Rodolphus let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Bellatrix turned back towards him and smiled triumphantly, and he matched her smile, although there was a bit of anxiety splayed across his features. He looked at the piles of bodies, graying, with the scent of decay flowing off of them. He set to work, and after a few tries, managed to make an acceptable inferius. After about an hour, Bellatrix could make two at once, and Rodolphus was making strong, able inferi. After some time longer, he could feel himself growing weaker. The cave was cold, and he was still wet from the rain. The powerful magic was draining, and he could see its effects on Bellatrix too. She looked upon the remaining corpses sadistically, but had to try the spell a few times before it worked. She placed her hand up to her forehead, and he ran up behind her, grabbing her slim waist to support her.

"We can finish tomorrow." He said, gazing at the remaining corpses. Less than half were left.

"No, I can keep going, I just…" her voice faded away and she swayed a bit. She had created more inferi than he had, yet she had much less experience with the dark arts. He held her tighter and interrupted her.

"No, Bell. We'll come back tomorrow. Let's go home and get some rest." he said firmly

"Alright," she finally agreed.

They walked out of the cave together and apparated back to Hogsmeade. They walked slowly, tiredly, through the tunnel back to the castle. They managed to sneak into the common room unnoticed, for it was very late at night.

"Are you feeling alright?" Rodolphus asked Bellatrix concernedly.

"Yeah, I'm great." She said slowly, avoiding his eyes.

Rodolphus looked at her in disbelief, but let it go. "Goodnight, Bella." He said, as they climbed the stairs to their dormitories. Rodolphus collapsed into his bed and let sleep overtake him.

Then suddenly, things weren't alright. He saw his brother, and Evan, and Bellatrix. He saw himself, reflected in the cool calm of the lake, a chill creeping up his spine. He felt clammy, vice-like hands grabbing onto him and his companions. He couldn't see them anymore, the inferi were dragging them under the water. He felt dirty, he could smell the intoxicating stench. He could feel the grime coat him, and the dark power drag him down. He was screaming and yelling. He couldn't breathe. He was drowning, he was drowning!

He was shaken awake, and Rosier looked down at him with concern.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Ok, new chapter, yay, please read and review. (:**

Chapter 12

Rodolphus nearly collapsed into his seat in the Great Hall the next morning. He was wickedly exhausted, and felt slightly sick. He instantly regretted his instinctive gravitation towards food. He focused instead on the familiar face across from him, who was concentrating on revising an essay while she drank a small glass of pumpkin juice.

"Heard you had some night terrors," she began, smugly.

"That's none of your business, now is it?" he said in a low voice, glancing over at Narcissa and Lucius to make sure they did not overhear any of their conversation. Thankfully, the pair was deeply engrossed in a conversation of their own.

"I'd say it's my business whether or not my partner's going to perform as well as my Master expects them to."

Rodolphus looked up at her with wide eyes, for she had never before spoken of Voldemort in such explicit terms. She smiled back at him daringly.

"I'll perform fine." He assured her. "How do you feel?"

"Powerful." She looked up at him, her bold eyes boring in to his until he was forced to look away.

He quickly crunched a piece of toast and went to gather his things for his first class.

The day went by in a blur of professors and classrooms, only to be ended by dinner in the Great Hall. Rodolphus was not hungry at all due to nervousness, but ate for strength. Bellatrix merely picked at a small mound of food without ever placing any in her mouth.

After dinner they set out through the tunnel to Hogsmeade again. The trip was the same as the day before, except this time, Rodolphus knew what to expect, and this time, his hand somehow wound its way into hers. They apparated to the cave, and outside it was once again pouring rain. They ran inside, and found the entrance to the smaller cave. Rodolphus spotted the pile of corpses at once, and exhaled slowly, shaking nausea from his system.

Bellatrix paced around to the far side of the pile, and stood facing Rodolphus. "Alright." She said to him. "Let's finish this and make our Master proud." He nodded back at her nervously. He hated the draining, cold feeling of this spell, and hesitated to begin.

Rodolphus had been at work for a half hour when it happened. The spell he cast at a corpse hit the dead man's silver pendant necklace and bounced back at him. He held his wand up to defend himself from the spell, but had no time to cast a shield charm. He yelled to get Bellatrix's attention. The spell hit his wand and sent it flying, right onto the clear, placid top of the lake.

"Accio wand!" called Bellatrix, vainly. She walked over to him, wand raised, so that she stood right in front of his right shoulder. He could easily see over the top of her head. She then created a new inferius, which she directed into the water towards Rodolphus's wand. The new inferius, however, was dragged down by the masses already underneath the water, and turned into one of them. He too, now crouched low below the surface, waiting for a new challenger.

"What do we do?" asked Rodolphus desperately. He needed to get the wand back, and Voldemort couldn't know about his mishap. He watched in amazement as Bellatrix transfigured a rat that had been scurrying along the cave floor into a large, majestic bird that flew in a circle over the lake, then swooped down low and grabbed Rodolphus's wand in its beak. It landed on the dirt a few feet from Bellatrix and placed the wand near her. She transfigured it back and it scuttled away.

"Thank you, Bell." She smiled at him. "That was amazing." He bent down to pick up his wand, and she turned away, already making more inferi, creating an impressive three at once. They walked haphazardly towards the lake, and stumbled in. He quickly returned to his work, and soon grew tired. He sat on a rock at the edge of the lake to rest, and watched as Bellatrix worked, her skill impressive. She was pushing her limits, he could tell, sheer exhaustion threatening to take over at any moment. Still, she managed to outperform him again and again. He was so fascinated by her, he failed to notice when his toes dipped into the water's edge, suggesting an attempt to defy the inferi. He was shocked out of his reverie when a clammy hand encased his ankle in a surprisingly firm grip. He grunted and tried to shake it off, but the hand persisted and was soon joined by more inferi, a tangle of limbs reaching for any part of him they could get.

"Help! Bella!" he called, now panicking. Visions of his nightmare filled his head along with thoughts of being turned into an inferius. He fought back harder. She came, and grabbed onto his arms. She pulled, but it did not help at all for she was already drained from creating the monsters that were now trying to kill him. She slipped on a wet part of the rock and slid towards the cold lake water. Inferi limbs groped up her legs. She grabbed his hand. She suddenly looked enlightened and put her wand arm towards the water to cast a spell. An inferius grabbed her wrist and pulled himself onto her. Rodolphus had managed to keep the inferi at bay below his knees, but they were now clambering all the way up onto Bellatrix.

"Rod! Lumos Maxima!" she yelled towards him. He cast the spell using all the strength he had left, and thankfully, it worked. The inferi retreated almost immediately back into the depths, leaving him and Bellatrix panting on top of the boulder. They both looked down to make sure they were completely out of the water before laying back on the large, flat rock. Rodolphus turned onto his side to look at Bellatrix. She was shivering and pale, but she turned away from him, sitting up and drawing her knees to her chest.

"Twice I saved you tonight." She said.

"Yes, you did." Rodolphus swallowed back a gnawing fear in his throat. "You're not going to tell Him, are you?"

"No, I suppose not. Then we'd both be punished for your mistakes." She winced, and Rodolphus thought of how she had suffered the Cruciatus Curse at the hands of her alleged comrades.

"Thanks, Bell. I won't mess up again." He tried to force a smile that wouldn't form in the grim circumstances. He stood up and began to finish the task Voldemort had assigned them.

When they finally got back to the castle, it was nearly three in the morning. The last of the inferi had taken a long time because of their tiredness, and the journey back through the tunnel was slow-going. Rodolphus didn't even remember going up to his dormitory that night, but he was shaken awake by Rosier the next morning, ready to bargain anything for a few more hours of sleep. Anything, except perhaps another night in the cave.

As it was, Rodolphus was forced to get up, stumble into his robes and travel with his friend down to the Great Hall for breakfast. His hair was disheveled, and his face was lined with creases from his pillowcase, but he cared not, for he felt tremendous relief at being done with his mission. Hunger soon panged at his stomach, and he was stuffing his face full of elf-prepared delicacies when he saw Bellatrix sit down next to her cousin. Dark circles were present under her eyes, and her hair hung limply down her back. She looked slimmer than she had at the beginning of break, and he could surely attribute her undaunted effort towards Voldemort's mission to her new physique. She had bathed, he noticed, so she was running on less sleep than him. He called her name but she didn't seem to hear him. They were, after all, seated a few people apart at the long dining tables.

He instead chatted with Rosier about Quidditch, as he filled his aching stomach. He was berated soon after in transfiguration for forgetting his essay that was due that day. He noticed Bellatrix handed hers in, surely a perfect paper. He sighed; he did not have time to balance both school and working for Voldemort. He didn't understand how Bellatrix made it seem effortless. He spent the rest of transfiguration gazing at her, and was yelled at again at the end of class for failing to take any notes or recall any of that day's lesson.

The rest of the day went on much in the same fashion, although luckily all of his other homework was complete, albeit done with a halfhearted effort. He was looking forward to relaxing in the common room after dinner, and maybe working on the transfiguration essay when he felt his dark mark prickle, right before he was about to go down to the Great Hall for dinner. He swore under his breath as he clutched his wrist, and headed towards the tunnel. As he passed Dumbledore's office, he saw the professor coming down to dine.

"Coming to eat, Mr. Lestrange?" asked the headmaster, with a curious twinkle in his eyes.

"No, sir, I need to get to the library, behind on homework, need to work," mumbled Rodolphus, blurting out lie after lie, although he wished they were true.

"Ah well, good luck to you boy, but always remember to take a break now and then and come enjoy a good meal, and forget about your other obligations."

"Yes sir, I shall, but not tonight."

"Alright then boy, I'll see you in the Great Hall tomorrow then."

"Yes sir, goodnight." said Rodolphus quickly as he skirted away from the headmaster and down the hall to the passageway. He sprinted halfway to Hogsmeade where he caught up to the others in the middle of the tunnel. He shuddered at his recent encounter, but chose not to repeat it to anyone. When they got to Voldemort's mansion, all the lights were out except a faint glow coming from the far window. The death eaters gathered inside the house, kneeling before their master. A giant fire blazed behind him.

"Have you, Bella, completed the task you were assigned?" he asked, without any pretense of greeting.

"Yes, sir, it is done." She bowed her head even further in reverence, a strange devotion that Rodolphus didn't understand.

"Very good. You and Rodolphus are very loyal servants." Voldemort turned his attention to a necklace that he levitated in the air before him.

"Rabastan!" he suddenly shouted.

"Yes, my Lord?" answered Rabastan, and Rodolphus felt a sudden urge to protect his brother from whatever Voldemort planned to use him for.

"Would you like to prove yourself on another mission? Perhaps make up for the errors of your last attempt?"

"Of course, my Lord." answered Rabastan, but the tone of his voice suggested he would rather be doing a lot of other things. Rodolphus's mind travelled to a train of thoughts he had often: Did he drag Rabastan into this? Was this what he wanted? Should Rodolphus have waited until he was older? His meditations were interrupted by Voldemort's piercing voice.

"Good. I would like you, Bella, and Crabbe to find someone for me." Bellatrix's eyes widened. Rodolphus held back an urge to go to her side.

"I shall finish telling you about the mission after the meeting. Now let's talk about the muggle problem…"

Rodolphus didn't pay attention to a second of the meeting that followed. He watched Bellatrix, her demeanor assertive and attentive, but he could see the dread bubbling just below the surface. He felt relieved that he wasn't chosen, but he felt dread for his brother and his… He wasn't sure what Bellatrix was to him, but he did not want to see her hurt at Crabbe's hand ever again.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: thanks for the reviews, they make me update faster (:**

Chapter 13

Rodolphus spent the weekend doing things he thought he would never do. He worked hard on his homework, chatted with Lucius, and thought endlessly about Crabbe. Well, he was really concerned for his brother and Bellatrix, but their well being was principally threatened by Crabbe.

By Sunday night, people had stopped talking to him at meals because of his jittery attitude. He earned himself a wink from Dumbledore for being present at dinner so often, but he only attended to keep his mind off of its endless track.

In the middle of the night of Sunday, Rodolphus woke to his forearm prickling. He tensed, and fumbled around under the sheets before freeing himself, and changing into presentable robes. He looked around the dormitory and saw only Rosier doing the same. They looked at each other; it was very rare to be summoned at this late hour. Rosier led the way through the corridors, past the people in the portraits snoozing in their frames.

Once they got to the tunnel, Rodolphus dared to speak. "Why do you think he wants us?"

"I don't know," replied Rosier, "But it can't be anything good." He grimaced and continued at their quick pace. The pain in Rodolphus's arm was searing, and he pinched himself to prove this wasn't all an elaborate nightmare. Once they apparated to the mansion, a hooded death eater opened the gate. They walked up the gravel path under pitching winds. Rodolphus bowed his head. He suddenly had a strong instinctive fear, and he wasn't sure why.

They walked down the hall, past the meeting room, and into a large, dim room at the very back of the house. A fire was lit at the far end, and several unlit chandeliers hung above. The walls were a deep gray and the carpet was maroon. Heavy curtains lined the two windows that would have looked onto the back yard. Rodolphus turned his attention to the ministrations by the fireplace. He gasped when he saw Crabbe and Bellatrix sitting hunched near the fire. Crabbe had a black eye, and a good amount of boils all over his skin. Bellatrix had a deep gash in her lip, and a painful looking scratch along her shoulder. It looked like she had been clawed by something, and rather fiercely.

Rodolphus turned his attention lower, and saw a horrific sight. His brother lay on the floor, covered in blood. Rabastan did not seem to be moving, aside from the heaving of his chest as he took shallow breaths. His face was fixed in a grimace, but it was hard to even ascertain this fact, for it was so disfigured by whatever he had been attacked by.

Voldemort sat on the ledge of the hearth, casting strong healing spells at him. Rodolphus fell to his knees beside his brother. Rosier had initially backed away from the scene, but now he sat beside his cousin, and spoke to her in hushed voices.

Without pausing in the healing charms he was casting at Rabastan, Voldemort looked up towards Bellatrix and Crabbe. "I am most disappointed in you." He looked back down at Rabastan, feeling his arms and turning his head slowly. Rabastan let out a quiet yelp of pain.

Rodolphus looked at Crabbe and Bellatrix. The former bowed his head, and the latter quivered, looking on the verge of tears. Rosier put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"Do not comfort her, get away from her, get away!" Rodolophus looked up from his brother to see Voldemort yell at Rosier. Rosier leaped off the chair where Bellatrix sat and stood against the far wall. Rodolphus turned back to his brother. He put his hands on Rabastan's shoulders, and looked down at him. "It's gonna be ok, Rab, you're alright. You're gonna be just fine. I'm here." Even as he muttered these assurances he wasn't so sure he could promise their truth, but they seemed to work, as Rabastan's breathing slowed at his brother's familiar touch.

"I send you out on a simple mission, to find the leader of a certain pack, and bring him back to me, and you cannot even get along long enough to remain on the same side as the werewolves, let alone complete this task!" Voldemort's voice became shriller, but no color rose into his pale cheeks. "Legilimens!" he called, looking at Bellatrix. After about twenty seconds he pulled away, even more angry. "How dare you shut your mind out to me! It is good that your partner is not such an expert at Occlumency. Legilimens!" he cried again, this time aiming for Crabbe.

He seemed to have found what he wanted, because he remained in Crabbe's mind, watching the memory unfold. Bellatrix began to cry. Rodolphus knew that she cried only because she so feared disappointing her master. Rodolphus wanted to go to her, but dared not defy Voldemort when he was in this state. He instead stayed with Rabstan, who turned over onto his side, and coughed for a long time, before calming down, and settling into an uneasy sleep.

When Voldemort released his hold on Crabbe's mind, his face held an awful mixture of curiosity and fury. "So," he ssaid slowly, calculatingly, "You two decide to settle your scores by dueling while out on a mission, and you let a fifth year try to go and finish it by himself."

"We didn't know he left," said Crabbe

"My lord-" said Bellatrix, but she was cut off as Voldemort began again to recreate the scene in order to shame and chastise them.

"So you finally figure out he's gone, and stop your duel, and Bellatrix goes out on her own after Rabastan?"

"He wouldn't come with me, my Lord, but I could handle it myself."

"Yes, I see that," sneered Voldemort. He turned to Crabbe, "Why did you let a seventeen year old girl venture off by herself in werewolf infested forest?"

"She should have been able to handle herself, and she was being a real bitch." Crabbe glared at Bellatrix, who sunk her head to her knees, ashamed that she had not been able to complete the task.

"Don't call her that!" yelled Rodolphus, more angrily than he had intended. Rosier, too, stepped forward from the shadows indignantly.

Voldemort ignored them and looked down at Rabastan. "And yet, she couldn't. I can't quite see the memory where it all went wrong, for I wouldn't risk entering Rabastan's thoughts while he was in this state, but it seems that you two have failed me immensely."

Crabbe bowed his head, and Bellatrix sank her head back into her knees, which were drawn tightly to her chest. She was muttering something, and tears and blood ran down her arms.

"Get out of my sight." Voldemort said this quietly, calmly, yet his tone suggested he was completely decided. "Go back to the castle, all four of you, and I will send Rabastan along in the morning when he is better."

Rodolphus wanted to ask Voldemort if he was sure his brother would be alright, but Voldemort's patience looked like it had worn thin. He followed the others down the creaking boards and outside into the early morning hours, where they apparated back to the passage.

As soon as they were in the basement of the shop, Crabbe rounded on Bellatrix. "Now look what you've done! You've gone and made him angry at us. We're lucky he didn't punish us further for your stupid mistake."

At first Bellatrix reached for her wand, and Crabbe took a step back, afraid. But then she lowered her arm, wiped her eyes, and turned and began down the passage. Rodolphus, who had protectively stepped in front of Bellatrix when Crabbe had begun his berating, now turned to the larger boy. "Don't you speak to her like that. You know full well that you are even more responsible than she is for what happened. You didn't even go to look for my brother! You let her go out alone!"

"I don't think she deserves to be a death eater, and I treat her as such. I'm sorry about your brother, Rod, but he shouldn't have gone off by himself. I don't know what happened out there, but he looked pretty bad."

"Yeah." They walked in silence for a few minutes. "Leave her alone, will you? She tries harder than all of us, and she isn't trying to do anything to you. Just let it go."

Crabbe then fell out of step with Rodolphus.

Rodolphus got back to the castle a few minutes later, and, spying a ghost in the halls, took an alternate route back to the dormitories. He passed a girls' bathroom, and heard a familiar voice. He paused outside the door, quickly shaking away the feeling of guilt with the feeling of curiosity.

"-called me a _slut,_ Cissy," said Bellatrix. She sniffled, obviously crying. "He said I was only a death eater because I was His whore."

"Bellatrix, you know he's just trying to say anything to make you angry." Narcissa's voice was steady and comforting, and he was glad that the younger girl knew about Voldemort.

"But what if he was actually accusing me? What if, what if that's what th- they all think?"

"You know that's not true. Rodolphus and Evan wouldn't let that happen."

"And the mission- oh Cissy, we ruined the mission so badly. Poor Rabastan is hurt, and the werewolves are angry at us now."

"You're hurt yourself. Pull your robe down, let me see your shoulder. And your lip, oh, Bell."

"And He was s- so angry with us! It was so shameful. Cissy, I can't ever let that happen again."

"And you won't, Bell," cooed Narcissa. Rodolphus heard Bellatrix hiss as her sister healed the scratch at her shoulder. The girls gathered their things a few moments later, and Rodolphus had to tuck behind a large door to escape being seen. He ran through the corridors, making it back to the common room just before the sisters. He settled into a couch and acted as if he had been there for some time.

The sisters bid each other goodnight, and Narcissa ascended the stairs as Bellatrix walked to Rodolphus's side. She sat on the arm of the couch.

"Rod…" she began.

He looked up at her, seeing her full shame. She looked at him with sad eyes and a set mouth.

"I'm so sorry about your brother. I never meant anything to happen because I wasn't doing my job. I should have been more responsible. He should be fine, but I just feel awful."

Rodolphus knew how hard an apology was for someone like Bellatrix Black. However, Rodolphus could tell that she was truly sorry for the cost of her mistake. Without saying a word, he stood up, and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, and exhaled. They stayed like this for a long time. Rodolphus sat down on the couch and she sat beside him. He leaned into the cushion on the side and closed his eyes. He felt her lay her head on his chest moments before sleep overtook him.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Well isn't that cute…"

Rodolphus awoke with a start the next morning to see Lucius Malfoy sneering down on him. Bellatrix shifted too, and glanced up at the blonde brat. "Aw shut it, Malfoy," said Bellatrix, "Like you wouldn't fall asleep with my sister the moment you got a chance."

Rodolohus grinned as Malfoy reddened. "Slughorn wants to see you." He said. She looked at him, confused. "Well, you didn't think I just came here to watch you, did you? Slughorn sent me to send you to his office since you missed potions this morning."

Rodolphus looked at the clock at the far end of the room. It was nearly eleven. He had already missed potions so far, and he thanked Merlin he had this hour free. Bellatrix quickly stood, flustered, and ran up the stairs to her dormitory. Rodolphus wondered why Slughorn only wanted to see her; he was in her potions class also, although his grades were significantly lower. Malfoy turned to Rodolphus. "What's wrong with her face?"

"Nasty duel," muttered Rodolphus, noticing the grim truth to his statement only after he had spoken it as a lie.

Lusius winced at the thought, already having been on the losing end of a duel with Bellatrix. "I'd hate to see what her partner looks like." He snickered.

Rodolphus chatted with him for a few more moments, and then Bellatrix descended the stairs from the dormitories, dressed in clean black robes with her hair pulled back. She strode past both boys and right out the door. Rodolphus ran after her, catching up to her halfway down the corridor.

"I'm going with you," he declared. "I missed that class also, and I'm part of the reason you slept so late."

"You are the reason I slept so late," she said with a fake grimace. "But, fine, here we are."

They ascended the stairs to the potion master's office, and rapped lightly on the door. "Professor?" called Bellatrix.

"Yes, yes, my dear, come on in, and… ah, Mr. Lestrange, I had a feeling, come in, come in." Slughorn stumbled around his cramped office, pulling up chairs for the two newcomers and pouring each of them a glass of something they were sure it was too early to drink. Pictures crowded the walls, and the floor was littered with potions ingredients and books of all sorts.

"I missed the both of you in class this morning. I sent for Miss Black only because I had a feeling you would be trailing behind with her." He said, glancing at Rodolphus, but soon turning his attention back to his favorite, Bellatrix.

"Yes, I am sorry professor, we were up very late and overslept." Said Bellatrix, in a genuine tone of voice which is surely what had won her the affection of nearly every professor. Well, thought Rodolphus, that and her skill.

"Ah I see, well that is permissible every once in a while." He chuckled. "May I ask what is it you were doing that warranted such a late night?" he probed.

"Well you see, professor," Bellatrix said, her confidence and sweetness apparent, "We were trying to help a friend who had gotten in a rather nasty duel. Have you seen Crabbe?"

"Ah yes, he was here this morning. Those boils look cursed, wretched things. You were trying to help him, you say?"

"Oh, yes, but he wouldn't have much of it, he was very flustered, and we weren't getting very far. But we managed to significantly improve his appearance from when he first came back."

"Where was he, do you know?" asked Slughorn.

"No, professor, I don't. He wouldn't say a word about it. But I'm so sorry I missed your class. I have my homework, here it is, and I can make it up…"

"No, no, my dear, that's quite alright. Thank you for the homework, Mr. Lestrange?" he held out his hand.

"I'm sorry sir, mine's not finished." Rodolphus bowed his head.

"Well, alright boy, get it to me soon, or I'll have to lower your grade."

"Yes, sir." They got up and left, and Rodolphus let out a tense breath once they were back in the corridor. He felt relived, yet anxious, for he needed to finish that homework, and he wanted to see his brother. He spent the rest of the hour looking over the grounds from the owlery with Bellatrix, and then he went to the Great Hall for lunch.

He saw his brother as soon as he entered, and ran to him, pulling him into a loose hug. A couple of girls giggled. Rabastan winced and pulled away, but gave Rodolphus a weak smile, and sat down beside him to eat. He ate heartily, looking much better than he had the night before, although he still looked very tired and sick. After he finished the food on his plate, he announced that he was going to see Madam Wolfe because he did not feel so good.

Rodolphus looked around for Bellatrix so that he could have someone to talk to now that his brother was gone, but she was nowhere to be seen. He walked out of the hall, and instinctively went to the library, where he found her hunched over a desk, writing out the potions homework in his handwriting.

"Did I ever tell you that you're the best?" he asked, settling down beside her.

She laughed and bent over the parchment again, her smile quickly fading. "Bella, what's wrong? Why did you disappear just now from the Great Hall?"

She paused with her quill down, a pool of ink forming around the tip of the letter she had just written. A slight tremor ran through her hand.

"I… saw your brother, and I couldn't be there anymore. What I did to him… I can't let him see me, I know he'll blame me, and he should, but I just had to get away."

"Bell," he said, laying his hand on her small, tense forearm. "Rab's alright. It's alright. No one blames you, and you know my brother, he could never carry a grudge."

She looked down, and her next words came out choked. "_He _blames me."

"He doesn't. He was just upset that the mission didn't work out."

"Right…" she said, and continued to write out the various uses of a species of plant.

"You'll have lots of chances to make up for it, don't worry. Before long, he will forget about this completely, he always does." She cheered up a little when he said that. They left the library and wandered out into the snow. They drifted towards the lake, and were walking slowly along its bank when a figure came yelling, calling at them.

They turned towards the incoming boy who was in their house and year. He was prefect. "Come back to the castle! Everyone needs to gather in the Great Hall. I need to find everyone on the grounds and bring them back, it is very important!"

Rodolphus nodded his understanding as he turned back towards the castle, Bellatrix on his heels. They followed the trickle of students into the Great Hall, and sat at the middle of the Slytherin table. Dumbledore stood at the front of the Hall, preparing to speak.

Once everyone had settled, he began. "A most dire event has called you to my presence this evening." A low murmuring filled the room until the headmaster rapped his wand on the podium in front of him, bringing order to the Hall. "This very evening, in the Forest, a centaur was killed. The killer was savage, and left behind a mark, a dark symbol consisting of a skull and a snake. Right now, we can be sure that no intruder came onto the grounds, so we can safely assume the killer of the centaur is sitting in this room." The murmuring turned panicked and excited, and students looked around, most heads turning toward Slytherin table.

"If anyone knows anything about this event, they are to come forward, and protect both the centaurs and the rest of the student body. The centaurs are most intelligent, and have incredible defensive skills, so this crime is most harrowing." Students once more began to talk, and Rodolphus looked down the table. He knew it must have been a death eater, and he knew it was not himself, Bellatrix, or his brother. That left Crabbe, Goyle, Rosier, and MacNair, and as his eyes fell upon the latter, he knew he had found the culprit.

A most savage look, partnered with a flitting look of worry was plastered across his face. He was pale, although his robes were clean, meaning he must have changed. Rodolphus thought back to the training they had completed in Voldemort's lower room, and how beastly MacNair had been when it came to killing, especially animals. It seemed that he had no conscience. Rodolphus realized he was the killer right away, and he saw Bellatrix follow his gaze and figure it out as well, but he was surprised that no one else seemed fazed by MacNair's suspicious behavior.

"As a precaution, I am going to insist that all students go directly back to their dormitories, and do not travel anywhere alone until this is figured out. And once again, please come forward if you know any important information. Goodnight." Dumbledore bowed his head and stepped down, walking to the back of the Hall and opening the large doors to let students out. The students began to file out, diverging onto four separate paths according to houses.

When he got back to the common room, Rodolphus was pulled aside by a rough grasp. He found Goyle's thick fingers around his arm, and Goyle's other hand on Bellatrix's wrist. He let go of Rodolphus and put a finger to his lips, pulling Bellatrix and leading him to a small table in the far corner of the common room. They sat, and Bellatrix absentmindedly grabbed her wrist where Goyle had held it roughly. Crabbe and MacNair wandered over within a few minutes. They both looked victorious. Crabbe was clutching a scrap of parchment in his hand, and he smoothed it out on the table.

It read, _My servants, I am glad to hear this mission was a success. It shall effectively scare the centaurs into submission, and also put the school in a state of fear, where it shall be easier to control. I hope this letter finds you well, if you did as I said, there is no chance you shall be caught. _

The letter was unsigned. Rodolphus looked up at Crabbe, confused. "You can only read it because you're marked. It would appear as a jumble of letters to anyone else." explained Crabbe.

"He will be most pleased." said Bellatrix, looking up at MacNair. "Was it hard?" she asked in a whisper.

"Not at all. Stupid beast walked right into my trap, and there I had him. No one else even saw me."

Slowly, the group left the table and went up to their dormitories. Bellatrix was left with Rodolphus. She slowly balled her hand into a fist, and slammed it onto the table. "I will be his most loyal, his best…" she murmured as he got up to go to bed, leaving Rodolphus alone with his thoughts.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Rodolphus awoke from a late nap to feel his forearm prickling. It was a Saturday, a few days after the centaur was murdered. Rodolphus had flown around on his broomstick with some other Slytherin boys, and then ate dinner in the Great Hall. He had planned on napping, finishing some homework, and then hanging out in the common room with Bellatrix and his friends. He groaned at his plan being interrupted.

He glanced at the clock, which informed him that it was just after eight in the evening. Eight marked the students' new curfew, at least until the professors' guard was dropped about the murderous student. Rodolphus got out of the large armchair he had been dozing in, and noticed that Voldemort had called all his Death Eaters to his side. Bellatrix descended the stairs from the girls' dormitory, looking stunning as always. MacNair and Goyle stood up from the table they had been playing wizard's chess at. Crabbe came down from his dormitory, looking horribly cranky. Rodolphus assumed he too was woken up from a nap. Rosier and Rabastan walked over from where they had been playing exploding snap near the fireplace.

To avoid much notice from others in the common room, and especially from professors patrolling the halls, the Death Eaters slipped out of the common room in groups of twos and threes. Crabbe shoved Rodolphus out with him with a cruel smirk, and a glance back saw Bellatrix paired with her cousin. Walking down the deserted corridors, Rodolphus was tense. Crabbe muttered under his breath and looked at the ground, leaving Rodolphus to keep watch for anyone that might spot them out of the common room. When they finally descended into the passage, he let out a long breath. They stood, among the others, staring up at the entrance willing Rosier and Bellatrix to come through. After five minutes, Goyle spoke up. "They're not coming. They must have gotten caught, or had to go back. We can't wait any longer, or He will be angry with us for making him wait. Let's go." The others nodded and began to walk, but Rodolphus kept glancing back towards the entrance, worried that Rosier and Bellatrix were in trouble.

"They'll be ok," said Rabastan, who grabbed his brother's shoulder for a moment before lithely running up towards the front of the group.

Crabbe dropped back, falling into step with Rodolphus. "Worried about your little girlfriend?" he teased. Goyle and MacNair snickered.

"She's not my girlfriend." answered Rodolphus as steadily as he could, because inside he was incredible worried for her. Her earlier run-in with Dumbledore had left him suspicious of her behavior.

"Ha!" said Crabbe. "What is she then, the Dark Lord's whore? He seems to fancy her a bit."

"No, she's not. And don't call her a whore. She's far more skilled at magic than you are."

"Oh, well if she's single… she is pretty gorgeous, maybe I should see if she'd be interested…" he trailed off, snickering.

"Like she'd ever date you. Did you forget what you did to her? Because she hasn't, and I haven't either!" His voice grew louder as he became more angry, but he and Crabbe both became silent as they reached the Hogsmeade shop. The group apparated to Voldemort's mansion, and walked to the back meeting room. The older Death Eaters were already gathered around the table. Voldemort looked angry.

"Am I really so unimportant as to be put so low on your list of priorities? You can't expect me to believe it took you this long to get here if you left right away." he looked down the table at the newcomers, who bowed to him and then sat.

"We are most sorry sir, but since the centaur was killed, they have professors patrolling the halls after curfew at eight, and we had to leave slowly and sneak around to get to the passage," explained Crabbe.

"Ah, so my plan has been most effective." He seemed placated for the moment. "We shall have to consider what to do now that Hogwart's is in a threatened state. But where, pray tell, are Miss Black and Mr. Rosier?" His face suddenly became clouded in anger again.

"They were last to come to the passage, they were coming together," began Goyle, "But then they never came down. We don't know what happened, but we hurried to get to you."

"I see. Let us go downstairs and plan." They followed Voldemort downstairs to the large room beneath the mansion. Rodolphus glanced out the window before he descended, noticing heavy snow falling outside. He barely took in any of the proposed ideas; he was too concerned with Bellatrix and Rosier. He saw Rabastan continually catch his eye with reassuring glances, but he could see the look of confidence falter on his brother's face before long.

After about a half hour downstairs, the group suddenly heard footsteps above them. "-must be downstairs." Rodolphus heard a male voice say. It was unmistakable Rosier. Moments later, he appeared with Bellatrix at the bottom of the stairs. His jaw quivered slightly, and Bellatrix's bright eyes immediately fell to the flow upon glancing up at her master. Rodolphus looked behind him at Voldemort, and saw his master looking incensed.

"Where have you been?"

"We were caught- McGonagall caught us out in the halls, and she gave us a detention. She sent us back to the common room, and then we had to start all over. But before we could even go back, she had to ask us all these questions, and make sure that we had alibis for the centaur attack. I'm sorry, my Lord." When Rosier finished explaining, he bowed down before Voldemort. Bellatrix also apologized and bowed to the ground too, practically groveling before Voldemort.

"Have I taught you nothing of stealth and disguise?" asked Voldemort, still furious

"Yes, my Lord, so much," said Bellatrix, inching closer to her master. Rosier kept his distance.

"Then how is it that you were unable to avoid being seen tonight?"

"We were careless, and she came out of nowhere. Master, you must forgive me!" Bellatrix was practically crying, and she reached for Voldemort's robes.

"Get away from me, stupid girl!" He cast a nonverbal spell that knocked her back against the near wall of the room, hard. She moved her head slowly, dazed. "You must for-"

"I _must _do nothing! You couldn't get to me when I called you tonight, the simplest task!" he shouted at her, ignoring Rosier. "You ruined your mission last week!" At this point, Crabbe looked down to the floor. "You nearly killed one of your partners! And you say I must forgive you?" he laughed a cruel, shrill laugh in her direction. She shrank back against the wall before him, the only man she was submissive towards. Her hair fall in her face, and the black dress she was wearing was torn. She was wet from the snow she had walked through.

"_Crucio!_" he yelled, aiming a strong jet of red light at her. Rodolphus felt a shudder go down his back as he watched her writhe on the floor. She bit her lip, drawing blood, but she could only last a few seconds before she was defeated to screaming at the power of the Dark Lord's spell. Rodolphus suddenly grew angry at Voldemort, and made to stand when he felt a hand pull him back. Rosier had moved to his side, and presumably saved him from doing something very stupid. Voldemort stopped the spell and looked down before him at Bellatrix. With great force she turned herself onto her back, and propped herself up on her elbows.

Her lip bled and her eyes darkened. A gleam of sweat covered her features, but an air of defiance still hung over her proud frame, as she panted from effort.

"Still think I must forgive you, Miss Black?"

"Yes, my Lord, please, I am your most-"

And it started again. Her screams echoed off the walls of the large room, causing the Death Eaters to look away, and pinch their foreheads in worry. Most had been punished at the hand of the Dark Lord, but watching and hearing him punish a girl was different. Voldemort stopped the spell for a second time and Bellatrix didn't move. He quit the room, and Rodolphus could hear him ascending to the third floor, where none of them had been. Rodolphus felt a fresh surge of anger towards his master, and got up, walking to Bellatrix's side. Rosier joined him.

Her breathing was rapid and shaky. Her face was pale, and she looked like she might be sick. Rodolphus crouched beside her. "Can you stand?" he asked her, gently.

"I th- think so." she said, peering out beyond her cousin to look at the room full of men staring at her. She accepted Rodolphus's help, and stood on shaking legs. He could feel himself supporting much of her weight, and was helped by Rosier. They climbed the stairs and the other Death Eaters followed. When they made it slowly down the pathway, the older Death Eaters apparated away first, and then the younger ones apparated to Hogsmeade. Because he was afraid of her splinching herself, Rodolphus took Bellatrix with side-along apparation.

When they got into the tunnel, Rabastan came up to Bellatrix. "You alright?" he asked.

"I'll be fine," she assured him, a pained smile drawn upon her face. Her black dress was caked in grime from the basement floor, and Rabastan casted a spell with cleaned it. He then casted another to clean the blood from her face. "Thanks," she said.

"So, the Dark Lord's little princess finally gets in trouble," taunted Crabbe.

"Can it, Crabbe," retuned Bellatrix, annoyed.

"No, you're right. That was rough. You took it pretty well… as well as any guy could have."

"Are you apologizing?" she asked, curious.

"Never!" he said, and then rushed back to chat with Goyle and MacNair.

When they had finally made it back to the common room, luckily without being caught, Rodolphus found himself left alone with Bellatrix as the others went to bed. She winced and steadied herself on his arm. "Rod, you're shaking." Said Bellatrix quietly, in a low voice.

"I'm sorry. He just made me so angry tonight. He shouldn't have done that to you. I wanted to-" He was cut off as her lips crashed into his. His arms wrapped around her slender back and her fingers ran through his hair. She kissed him passionately, and he returned it.

"Not my girlfriend, my ass." Said Crabbe, who had descended the stairs to retrieve a book. Bellatrix smiled and walked slowly away to her dormitory.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Rodolphus grunted in pleasure as a completed transfiguration essay was thrust in front of him. His mouth was stuffed with food, and he was incapable of any other noise. Once he swallowed, he beamed at Bellatrix, who had handed him the grade-saving parchment, and got up to bring it to the strict professor.

"Wait!" called Bellatrix, before he had gotten five feet from the table. He glanced back at her. "Don't go yet. She said you could hand it in any time before first hour." Rodolphus smiled at Bellatrix. He tucked the essay into the pocket of his robes and walked back behind her at the Slytherin table. She had been clingy ever since her punishment from Voldemort a few days previous. Rodolphus didn't mind, he enjoyed it immensely. He began to rub her thin shoulders as she ate some breakfast.

She smiled, and looked up at him. "We should go to Hogsmeade together tomorrow."

"Yeah, that sounds great. I can't wait." Rodolphus felt a little unsettled by her new affection, but he did not want it to end, either. He knew he was lucky that Bellatrix liked him. He knew several other boys who would kill to be in his place. Bellatrix stood and picked up her bag. It was filled with books for her heavy course load, and looked disproportionately large for her small frame. She heaved it over her shoulder, and still managed to maintain her proud, foreboding stance.

She marched proudly through the halls with Rodolphus at her side, something that was new to him. He usually never travelled with her to classes, instead walking with Rosier or other friends, and he was amazed at how her journey worked. Because of some unspecified reason, perhaps her reputation for winning duels, her haughty look and pure bloodlines, or her stunning looks, Bellatrix walked through the halls with ease. Other students moved out of her way, clearing her a path, something Rodolphus had never seen before.

As the other students spied Rodolphus with Bellatrix, they pointed and whispered. He sighed, but she just grabbed his hand, and shot a first year a look that made her cower behind several rows of older students.

They got to McGonagall's room, and Rodolphus went inside and gave her the essay. She skimmed over it, and placed it on her desk. "I shall have to read it later, Mr. Lestrange, but from what I saw, it is a tremendous effort. Nicely done." She gave him a curt nod, and he went back in the hall to find Bellatrix leaning against the wall, chatting with a tall Ravenclaw seventh year whom Rodolphus only vaguely knew. The Ravenclaw put one arm against the wall over Bellatrix's shoulder as he spoke to her. She had her arms crossed, and looked uncomfortable. He leaned in closer.

Rodolphus walked over quickly. "Something wrong?" he asked Bellatrix. The Ravenclaw boy immediately backed up.

"Nah- we're fine. No problem. See you later, Bell." He walked away, intimidated by Rodolphus's larger frame and angry look. Bellatrix smiled, and fell into step with him and they headed towards the dungeons.

"I can take care of myself, you know."

"I know, it's just since He did that to you last week, I just feel like I should have done more-"

"Rod, you shouldn't have done anything more, it would have just made it worse."

"Yeah I know. That's why I didn't. But that guy looked like a jerk. What did he want, anyway?"

"I used to date him, fifth year. He was… concerned… about the people I hang out with, and what influences they might have on me, and he didn't want me to make any bad choices." She smirked.

Rodolphus managed to laugh a bit too as they walked through the door of potions, just in time. Rodolphus sat with Rosier, his partner, and Bellatrix sat with a Gryffindor named Drew, who she tolerated because he was intelligent and a pureblood. Rodolphus watched her for most of the class, and felt a pang of jealousy when she grabbed Drew's wrist to stop him from adding the wrong ingredient. Drew blushed, obviously infatuated with his pretty partner. Rodolphus ground up his dragon scales to a fine powder.

At the end of class, Bellatrix and Drew had brewed a perfect potion, although surprisingly, Rodolphus and Rosier had not done poorly at all. Bellatrix beamed at him in a 'see, I knew you could do it' sort of way. Rodolphus felt a bit better after that.

The next afternoon, Bellatrix walked with Rodolphus down the snowy path to Hogsmeade. The day was blustery and cold, and before long, Rodolphus contemplated turning back, but Bellatrix grabbed his hand and pulled him along. They got into the small village and headed straight for the three broomsticks, where Rodolphus bought himself and Bellatrix butterbeers. She picked up her large mug, but a moment later it clattered to the ground as her brow furrowed and she reached for her arm. After a second, Rodolphus felt it too, a sharp tingling on his Dark Mark, more painful than usual. Without cleaning up the broken glass or spilled butterbeer, Rodolphus grabbed Bellatrix's hand and led her down the street.

They turned into a dark alley, away from the heavy snow and crowd of students. With a quick turn, they apparated to Voldemort's mansion. He was waiting on the path, and they walked to him. Bellatrix kept her head down and did not speak to Voldemort. Rodolphus could tell she was slightly afraid of Him, from the way she stood behind Rodolphus's shoulder, but she desperately wanted his forgiveness. Rodolphus, however, was still angry at his master for hurting Bellatrix, and looked at the ground so that Voldemort would not see his disgust.

Once everyone had arrived, Voldemort spoke. "Today, we are going to celebrate as we purify the race. We are going to a muggle village, filled with horrible, dirty people, and we shall kill." Voldemort told his Death Eaters the name of the village and they apparated to the outskirts. Rodolphus found himself looking at a small village, secluded by forest on all sides. Voldemort stayed behind, and Dolohov led the way down the Main Street. The muggles were all indoors because of the snowstorm which tore through their town as well. Suddenly, Avery cast a spell that lit a straw roof on fire, and then Dolohov lit another fire to one of the large shops on the main street. Crabbe and Goyle shot spells that shattered windows, and within seconds, muggles began peeking their heads out of their front doors.

"Crabbe, north, Goyle, south, Rab, you take the east, He's at the west side. No one shall escape into the forest." said Dolohov, as he marched towards a large farmhouse. The group split up, and Rodolphus made sure Bellatrix was still with him. They followed Dolohov into the house, where he found an old man and woman cowering behind a table. Dolohov blew the table up with the reductor curse, and the old woman shrieked. He quickly killed her. Then he stepped aside, offering the man to Rodolphus or Bellatrix. The man leaned over his wife's body, checking to see if she was really dead. He was sobbing in fear.

"Aveda Kedavra." Said Bellatrix, shakily, and the green light merely glowed at the tip of her wand.

"Come on, Bella, you need to mean it, you need to want the filthy muggle dead." said Dolohov.

"A-Aveda Kedavra!" she called, and the jet of light soared towards the man. He fell to the ground, unmoving, and the three exited the house in silence. Dolohov went next door, while Rodolphus and Bellatrix went to the house across the street.

Two children lay unmoving on the floor, and Rodolphus searched for a parent. Suddenly, a man ran at them, swinging a board with nails protruding from one end. A murderous look was in his eyes.

"Crucio!" called Bellatrix and he immediately fell to the ground, writhing in agony. She stopped after a few seconds, and Rodolphus killed the deranged man. She kissed him quickly on the lips, smiling sadistically, and walked back to the main street. Many people were running from their houses now, as the fires and terror spread. They charged down to the outskirts of the village, only to be stopped by the three death eaters and their master positioned there. Some ran down the main street, and Bellatrix and Rodolphus killed many, green light the only evidence of murder.

After about twenty minutes, it was over. The small village was extinguished. Voldemort looked reinvigorated, and disapparated. The others disapparated after him, back to the path from which they had left.

"My dear Bella," said Voldemort, "What a nice performance today. I am most pleased with your work. Do not fall into my bad graces again." He turned away, and addressed the group. Rodolphus missed his message as he watched Bellatrix, who was beaming under her master's praise.

They got back to school late in the afternoon, and after stopping in the common room, walked to the Great Hall for dinner. As they walked past the Gryffindor table, a boy teasingly asked Bellatrix out, knowing she would never agree; she was way out of his league. His friends snickered. Rodolphus shook his head; he could not fathom how Bellatrix could be a complete bookworm, a perfect student, and still remain quite admired and intimidating. They sat down to eat, and Bellatrix pulled out two sheets of parchment. She began to write the potions homework on the first piece, and then wrote the same sentence on the other piece of parchment in Rodolphus's handwriting.

"You don't have to do that. I can finish that one. Eat something."

"I'm not hungry, and besides, if you don't need me to work on this, I need to do runes. And some astronomy."

"You can't keep going like this. It's just the start of second semester and you barely have a free moment."

"Well I have to keep going like this- what choice do I have?"

"I don't know, but this isn't healthy. This schedule you're keeping and this… infatuation with him."

Bellatrix folded up her parchment, and tucked it in her bulging bag. She stood up. "I'm going to go work in the library." She said, quietly. She pulled out a different piece of parchment, handed it to Rodolphus, and left the Great Hall, hiding her troubled look well with the haughty stance she usually held. Rodolphus unfolded the piece of parchment. It was his transfiguration homework.

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews last chapter, they're really encouraging. Let's see if maybe we can get a few more this chapter? Let me know what you think about the story so far. Thanks, and enjoy as always. (:**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Rodolphus watched, silently appalled, as Voldemort tortured to death a muggle man in the room below his mansion. The Death Eaters looked on at their master's cruel game, watching as he demonstrated dark spells and painful hexes. When he had finished, most of them looked up at Voldemort, awaiting further instruction. Bellatrix looked down at the corpse, and Rodolphus could have sworn he saw her shudder. The next moment, however, she looked up at Voldemort. "That was… impressive, my Lord."  
>"Thank you, Bella," responded Voldemort, not looking up from the small object in his hands. "You shall now pair off and duel. Once you lose a duel, you are to sit. Winners, pair off again." He backed away to the edge of the room, a small entertained smirk crossing his features. Rodolphus was across from Goyle, and he saw Bellatrix facing his brother. Her wild hair contradicted the neat wandwork she displayed. Rodolphus quickly got the best of Goyle, for the reflexes on his opponent were not so quick, and Goyle probably didn't want to get out at the hand of anyone more malicious anyways.<p>

He turned to see Rabastan sit down also, his legs shaky. Bellatrix turned to Rodolphus. "So, we get to duel again." She smiled, a twisted combination of shyness and confidence.

"Yeah we-" and it had begun. Rodolphus barely had time to put up a shield charm from her jet of red light. He fired back a tough hex which she easily stepped away from. They bombarded each other with spells, until Bellatrix sent a jet of purple light which shattered Rodolphus's shield, and fired a spell which levitated him upside-down. In his disorientation, she managed to disarm him, and the duel was won. He was lowered down, and she handed him his wand back, squeezing his arm with an entrancing smile. She moved to the middle of the room, waiting for the last duel to finish. Dolohov beat his hooded opponent, and turned to Bellatrix.

He towered over her small frame, but she held her composure, taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders. Voldemort took a few steps forward, and began to take interest. Dolohov fired off a series of spells, and Bellatrix had no choice but to take a defensive stance. She put up a shield charm and tried to maintain it as Dolohov tried to break through it with constant stream of spells. The moment Dolohov stopped for a breath, Bellatrix began, using his method against him. Her first spell hit him and he was thrown backwards, putting up a shield around himself as he sat on the ground.

Bellatrix continued to berate him with spells, and a few moments later, she was able to disarm him. The room was silent as his wand clattered to the floor, and new best duelist was found. Voldemort came up behind Bellatrix and placed his hands on her shoulders. Rodolphus shuddered, suddenly very angry. "Well, my Bella, that was quite a skillful performance."

"Thank you, my lord." she gushed. Rodolphus was revolted; she was eating up his attention, after he had left her tortured on the floor.

"You have proven yourself more than worthy this afternoon, and I forgive you for all your prior mistakes."

"Oh, my lord!" Bellatrix fell to her knees. "Thank you. Thank you! I shall be your most loyal, most faithful servant."

"I shall hope so. Very well. Go. We shall meet again in a few days to plan more of our attack."

The death eaters left the mansion, and walked to the end of the gravel path. Dolohov turned on Bellatrix. He grabbed her wrist, dragging her away from the group. "Trying to upstage me, Black?"

"I'm trying to win a duel. Like my master commanded me to." She remained cool and collected, even though there was a strained look on her face.

"Right. Try and do that again and you won't like the consequences." He twisted her arm and she let out a small whimper. Rodolphus turned to see what was going on, and rushed over.

"Hey, is there a problem?" he asked, trying to act as confident as possible before the older, darker wizard.

Dolohov just laughed and let go of Bellatrix, before apparating on the spot. Bellatrix coughed a few times, and looked up at Rodolphus defiantly.

"I had that taken care of, you know." She laughed, shakily.

"Right, and what part of you taking care of it included letting him hurt you?"

"Rod, you need to relax. I'm a death eater, I'm going to get hurt sometimes."

"By other death eaters?" he asked, incredulously. "This would be the second time…" She gave him a stern look that meant, 'enough'. Most of the others had apparated away, but Rosier and Rabastan waited, watching the argument unfold.

They walked back through the passage in relative silence, the boys exchanging uneasy remarks about Quidditch, or classes, or an equally docile topic.

When they got back to the castle, Rodolphus ran to his dormitory to pick up his bag, then went up to the library to work on some homework. He had been falling behind in the last few weeks, and now, in the beginning of February, it was becoming more and more important to keep up with his work because of upcoming N.E.W.T.s. He hated studying and schoolwork, but he understood the necessity of it. He took a seat at his favorite table beside the restricted section.

He soon was distracted by two Ravenclaw girls, giggling loudly from behind the bookshelf beside him. They whispered to one another, unaware that he could hear them. He silently cast a spell that allowed him to hear them better.

"-Lestrange is _with _Bellatrix Black!" said the one girl, as the other gasped loudly.

"She hasn't been with anyone since Roger Finch!"

"I know, and she's gorgeous, obviously, but she's always studying or rushing here and there, it doesn't seem like she has any time for a boyfriend."

"Yeah, and she looks sick lately. I'm not sure what he sees in her. She's kind of bossy and she's got some attitude, from what I saw in herbology last year." The first girl made a sound of disgust and peered over the books.

"Lestrange is pretty hot, though." The second girl agreed. Rodolphus smiled to himself as they walked away, although he felt troubled and he wasn't sure why. He tried studying until dusk and then went to the Great Hall for dinner.

He found his brother and Rosier at the Slytherin table and sat down beside them. He was very hungry, and he chatted with them as he stuffed food into his mouth. Narcissa walked up to the table after a few minutes, and looked disgusted at the sight of the boys stuffing their faces, but she quickly unpinched her face and sat down across from them. Her expression quickly changed to one of worry.

"What's wrong, Cissa?" asked Rabastan.

"It's Bella." She laughed, in spite of her serious expression. "It's always Bella. She won't come down to eat because she's reading this new book that _He_ gave her. She won't bloody shut up about Him, _and_ she's getting sick I think. Rod, will you go see her?" she used her big blue eyes to plead with him, and Rodolphus nodded, and stood up. He walked down to the common room, which was abandoned, since everyone was at dinner.

He walked into Bellatrix's dormitory to find her on her bed with a book on her lap and parchment and ink and quills around her. More books littered the floor. Her school robes were hanging on the bed posts, and she wore only a small black dress. Her face was shockingly pale besides her nose, which was tinged pink and her eyes, which had dark circles below them. She looked up at him when he entered.

"Bell, come down. Take a break." He sat down on the edge of the bed, and placed his hand on her leg. He felt her stiffen but she didn't move.

"Not now, I need to finish this." She coughed. "Then I need to do transfiguration, and you probably do too, and I should get started on potions too."

"You need to eat. And probably go see Madam Wolfe, it sounds like you're getting sick."

"I ate before. And I don't have time, I need to read this."

"Why?" he knew he was entering dangerous territory, but he was starting to get angry at her stubbornness.

"Because He gave it to me to read!" he could tell she was getting angry at him too. He reached across the bed and snatched the book from her hands. _Moste Wicked Hexes_ read the title, with silver illustrations of spiders crawling along the cover.

He threw it back at her and she caught it roughly, coughing. She put it down and looked up at him, angry. "That book- ugh, your whole… obsession with Him is just disgusting!" he stood up, aggressively, and an inkwell spilled.

"My…obsession?" she asked, her voice falsely calm. She too stood up from the bed.

"Yes, he's all you ever talk about, he takes up all your time, and you don't even come to meals anymore. You barely get any sleep!" he didn't mean to sound so mad, but the moment he began to speak, he realized how angry he was.

"There's nothing wrong with it, I want to be his most loyal servant!" she reached for her wand before realizing it was still in her school robes. She stood before him, glaring up defensively at his tall frame.

"Nothing wrong with it! He hurt you, Bella, in case you forgot! He left you there, on the floor, after he tortured you. He's unkind, and ill-mannered, and I don't like how he treats you."

"Well it's not your business!" she tried to shove past him to get to the common room, but he grabbed onto her arms holding her in front of him.

"It is my business, I care about you and I- ahh!" he grunted at Bellatrix kicked him in the shin. He tightened his grip but she wrenched her arms out of his.

"Leave me alone, Rodolphus! I don't… whatever we had, it's over!" she shoved him towards her bed, and turned towards the door. As she said this, Rodolphus suddenly grew desperate. He grabbed her shoulders and she looked up at him, and he could swear he saw fear in her eyes.

"Don't do this, Bella!" he looked down at her, biting his lip.

"Rodolphus, it's over, let me go!" At that point, Rodolphus felt something in him break, and he felt a shudder run down his body. Bellatrix felt it too as it ran through his hands. He shoved her away from him, hard, and walked purposefully out of the dormitory, unsure of where he was heading.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Sorry this one took so long! As always, enjoy it!**

Chapter 18

Rodolphus awoke with a start, although he couldn't quite figure out why. His arm wasn't tingling, and all was silent in the dormitory. A steady stream of heavy snow was coming down past the window, and Rodolphus absentmindedly shimmied deeper under his blankets.

Glimpses of the previous night kept returning to him. He felt his cheeks flush as he thought of his behavior. He had shoved Bellatrix, hard, and left her there on her floor. He had walked into the passage that led to Hogsmeade, and he had punched the dirt wall in frustration. He then sat down there for a long time before coming back out. On his way back to the dormitory, he was muttering angrily, and when a second year asked him if he was alright, he hexed the small boy. He had finally collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep before any of the other boys had even come up.

Rodolphus got out of bed onto creaking floorboards, and quickly threw on some clean school robes. It was a Saturday, but he had missed most of dinner the night before and now he was starving. He went down to the Great Hall and loaded food onto his plate. A few minutes later, MacNair and Rosier joined him. Rodolphus looked down; he wasn't in the mood for company.

"Everything ok, Rod?" asked Rosier.

"Yeah, I guess." responded Rodolphus, unenthusiastically.

"Yeah right. Is it Bellatrix or Him?" pressed MacNair.

"Her." muttered Rodolophus, filling his mouth with food to ignore any more questions.

"Aw, don't worry about her, she'll come around!" said MacNair as he dove hungrily into his breakfast. Rosier shot Rodolphus a worried glance.

Narcissa came into the Great Hall a few minutes later and shot Rodolphus a confused look before going to sit with Lucius at the other end of the table. As Rodolphus was reaching for a third helping, he felt his arm begin to prickle, and caught Rosier's eye.

"Guess we're finished here," said Rosier, laughing halfheartedly. The three boys walked to the passage and quickly entered it, avoiding detection. Moments later, they heard Crabbe and Goyle enter behind them. Rodolphus turned around instinctively to look for Bellatrix, and saw her climb down, helped by Rabastan, moments later. He shrugged away a pang of jealously with feigned indifference, and continued towards Hogsmeade.

When the group reached Voldemort, they realized that he had only called his younger Death Eaters to his side. They stood in a semi-circle around Him, and he looked up at them through his sharp features. "Today, I would like you to complete a task for me."

"What is it, my Lord?" asked Crabbe.

"You are to go to the wizarding village of Finchmere. They are a population of muggle-sympathizers. Once there, I would like you to kill some to scare them all. Make sure you get our message across. Once finished, return here. They are wizards, but most there aren't very skilled duelists. Now go."

The Death Eaters left Voldemort's side and walked down the familiar gravel path. Bellatrix stayed far away from Rodolphus, not making eye contact at all. She pulled a hood up over her head, casting a shadow over her face, and Rodolphus was thankful for her presence. He hadn't even thought of disguising himself. He turned to Rosier, and each performed some simple transfiguration to each other's faces. Crabbe, Goyle, and MacNair put on masks that were more like pillow cases with holes cut from them. Rabastan also pulled up a hood, and then the group disapparated.

The town of Finchmere was bleak, with sleet raining down over dilapidated shacks of houses. Large fields stretched out beyond each home, and the streets were deep puddles of icy mud. Rodolphus was amazed that Bellatrix was wearing her boots- she seemed prepared for every situation.

They walked down the main street, and Goyle began the task Voldemort had assigned them by casting a spell that shattered all the windows on a large buiding. Soon the others joined him, starting fires and breaking things, and coaxing the wizards from their homes. Duels began, and Rodolphus lost track of the others as the man he was dueling led him down an alley. The man was large and angry, and shouted each spell at Rodolphus. Rodolphus's hand was shaking from fear and cold, but he managed to hold his own and soon the man went down. Rodolphus ran out of the alley, just in time to see Crabbe run on top of an overturned wagon.

"The Dark Lord is the way!" he shouted, "Muggle filth shall be eliminated, and so shall all who support it. A pure wizarding race shall be established! Follow him or pay the price!"

Crabbe's words worked to excite the Death Eaters and to make the villagers angrier. He saw Bellatrix battling three villagers at once. She managed to kill the smallest man, which seemed to infuriate the other two men. She blasted one with a painful looking hex, but the moment after, the third man hit her with a spell that knocked her into the mud. He stood over her, and Rodolphus ran to help her out, when the man collapsed. He fell on top of Bellatrix, who looked at him in shock and satisfaction. The man had been hit with two jets of green light, one from Crabbe, and one from Bellatrix herself. Crabbe came over to help Bellatrix out from under the man, and the two of them ran off, singing Voldemort's praises.

Once the villagers accepted defeat, the Death Eater's sent a dark mark into the sky and disapparated back to the mansion. Rodolphus felt pretty low, and just wanted to be alone, but instead he was herded into the same room with the girl he thought he loved and the man he thought he hated. He had some welts on his arm from a nasty hex, and his robes were torn and muddy, but he suddenly forgot all of that when he entered into Voldemort's intimidating presence again.

Voldemort congratulated his youngest followers, and sent them back to the castle, but requested that Bellatrix stay behind for a word. Rodolphus tried to shoot her a glance to see if she was alright, but she avoided his line of sight, a long tress of hair blocking his view of her face.

Rodolphus returned to the castle, and tried to work on homework. However, before he could get three sentences into his potions essay, he found himself distracted with thoughts of Bellatrix. He felt confused; one part of him hated her for her devotion to Voldemort and her neglect for herself and their relationship, and another part of him felt the overpowering need to take care of her, and felt fiercely protective of her. He knew this latter idea was irrational, for she was highly independent and capable of taking care of herself, but he could see her decline since Christmas, and now that she had pushed him away, he wasn't sure where she would turn to or what she would do.

Him, of course. The idea was so simple Rodolphus wasn't sure why his mind hadn't thought of it before. Rodolphus was the last distraction between her and her master. Now that he was out of the way, she could be fully loyal to Him. Rodolphus wondered if He had put her up to it. He couldn't stand the thought of her groveling before Him, yet he understood that he could do little to affect the situation. He sighed and ran his hands through his shaggy hair.

Bellatrix came into the common room at that precise moment, with a boy Rodolphus knew as Louis talking avidly with her. He motioned for her to sit with him by the fire, but she tugged her wrist from his hand and walked towards the stairs. Rodolphus stood up and turned facing her, surprising her. "What was that about?" asked Rodolphus in a low voice, so that they both knew he was talking about her conversation with Voldemort.

"None of your business, Lestrange, leave me alone." She tried to push past him and get to the stairs, but he stood in her way.

"Bell, come on, talk to me!"

"I have no reason to, now let me through, I'm busy!" she said, her voice getting shriller. Louis got up and came to her side.

"Problem?" he asked, sizing Rodolphus up. Rodolphus accepted defeat and moved away, matching her angry glare with one of his own, but trying to transmit his sense of concern and urgency to her at the same time. Bellatrix shrugged Louis off and trudged up to the dormitory.

Later that night, Rodolphus awoke, and found himself in the common room still. He glanced down and saw a transfiguration book on his chest, and figured he had fallen asleep doing homework. He glanced at the clock which read one in the morning. He looked up silently, just in time to see a small figure leave the common room. He could have sworn it was Bellatrix.

A sudden surge of anger overtook him at the idea of her meeting Voldemort in the middle of the night. He tried to fall into a fitful slumber, attempting to forget about Bellatrix and this betrayal.

The next morning, Rodolphus was seated at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall when he saw Bellatrix. She sat down towards the other end of the table with Narcissa, and Rodolphus shrugged off her presence. Louis sat down on the other side of her. Crabbe and Goyle, who were sitting next to Rodolphus, were engaged in a terribly stupid argument, so Rodolphus let his eyes wander back to the beautiful girl sitting down the table from him.

She looked awful. Dark circles lined the bottoms of her heavily-lidded eyes, and her face was deathly pale. She still looked sick, like she had when Rodolphus went to see her in her room. As she reached for food, Rodolphus saw bruises mottling her small wrists, and he felt an unexpected rage wash over him. He left the Great Hall, unsure of where he was going until he found himself at the edge of the lake. He raked his fingers though his hair once more, pulling his hair by the roots, and stared into the abyss of the thinly iced-over lake. Suddenly a familiar voice shocked him from his reverie.

"You're not planning on jumping in, are you?"


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Rodolphus spun around, startled, and found himself staring into the small pale face of Narcissa Black. "Do you always sneak up on people like that?" he asked her.

"I was concerned for your well-being," she said with a smirk.

"Shouldn't you be concerned for your sister?" Rodolphus asked, and he could feel all the tension that had escaped his mind for a few short moments returning.

"Well Bella always gets out of her messes. She'll do the same thing this time, and come to me to make her feel better when it doesn't work out and she realizes we were right. It's you I'm worried about. You don't look so good, Roddy," she said, using the nickname he hated.

He walked towards her and they began to circle the lake. "I can't get her out of my head," he sighed. "Her obsession with Him just bugs me, and that's what we argued over last week. But it's not good for her, and she can't see that."

Narcissa didn't speak at first; she simply muddled his confession over in her mind. She finally opened her mouth, her brow knit, trying to find the right wording. "Is it… really bad… for _her_?" she asked him. Rodolphus wasn't sure where she was going with this, so he let her continue. "Well, I mean, it's obviously taking a toll on her, but she seems really happy with Him and her work, and she's still getting perfect grades. I think… that you don't like it because her 'obsession' is bad for your relationship with her."

Rodolphus thought about the situation from this new angle, surprised at the insight of the young girl. "You know, Cissy, as much as I hate to admit it, you kind of have a point. I'm not sure I totally believe you yet, I mean, I still think her relationship with Him is inherently bad, but I have been thinking about myself…" he trailed off, suddenly becoming uncomfortable speaking about his emotions.

Narcissa and Rodolphus returned to the castle a few minutes later and parted ways. Rodolphus spent the day working on homework, and studying for an important transfiguration test the next day. He ate dinner in the Great Hall, and much to his dismay, he saw Bellatrix laughing with a huddle of people around her. She was perfectly fine without him.

Suddenly not hungry, Rodolphus retreated back to the common room. There he pulled out a large book that he had been assigned, and vowed to stay in the chair he was sitting in all night if he had to, to catch Bellatrix in her actions in case she left again tonight. He needed to talk with her, and a confrontation was the only way.

When the final Slytherin student went up to his dormitory, Rodolphus slowly lowered the book onto his chest. He glanced around the dimly lit room, his eyes fully adjusted to the dark. Then he lowered his eyelids, and began a perfect imitation of slumber. About twenty minutes later, he heard footsteps. His skin prickled, suddenly hot, and his heart began to race, but Rodolphus didn't make a movement. Two voices were now whispering in the blackness of the staircase.

"Why can't I?" begged the first voice, familiar but implacable.

"Because you're just a child. Besides, I have important things to do tonight," said the second person, unmistakably the low voice of Bellatrix.

"I am not a child! Well, if not tonight, then soon? Take me to Him!" They moved into view, and Rodolphus glimpsed a pale blonde boy, who he didn't need to focus on more to recognize as Lucius. He sighed; he needed Bellatrix alone.

"Get away!" she said, pushing him back. "I need to go, my master needs me." Lucius just watched as she dashed out the door and ran down the corridor.

It was not until much later the next day that Rodolphus thought of Bellatrix again. He had many busy classes to attend, and between them, he was running around the grounds in the first thaw of the new year with Rosier and his brother. While he was eating dinner in the Great Hall, ever aware of Dumbledore's watchful presence, he felt someone come up behind him. He turned around and his mood immediately fell as he saw himself staring into the face of Bellatrix's new boyfriend, Louis.

Louis looked tense worried as he bent down to talk to Rodolphus. He spoke in a hushed, low voice. "Have you seen Bella today?" he asked.

"No, come to think of it, I haven't," replied Rodolphus. "Why?" He grew concerned.

"She hasn't been around all day, and I'm starting to get worried. Any idea where she might be?"

"I have no idea, she's so unpredictable. But I'll check around. You should talk to Narcissa."

"Alright. Thanks." He turned and left. Rodolphus finished his dinner and got up and left without saying a word to his friends. He had an inkling of where Bellatrix might be, but he hadn't wanted Louis to be the one to find her. He felt dread weigh him down as he ascended the stairs until he found himself outside of a particular girl's bathroom he had lurked outside of once before.

Rodolphus peeked his head inside the door, but then he decided it would be a better idea to enter completely, to avoid getting in trouble from teachers in the hall. He was about to turn around to walk out, deciding that the bathroom was vacant and his assumption was wrong, when he saw a small dark figure huddled beneath the farthest sink.

Bellatrix sniffled and lifted her head up to identify her observer. She had taken her robe off and hung it over the edge of the stall, and was sitting in a black shirt, skirt, and tights. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, and holes and tears littered her tights. Rodolphus initially moved to sit beside her, but he remembered that things weren't the way they were before between them, and he sat in front of a stall, facing her.

He looked at her closely. Bruises lined her arms and face, and she had been crying. She looked exhausted, and dirty, with mud staining her clothes and skin. Rodolphus didn't know what to say to her. "Did He do this to you?" was all he could manage, not bothering to hide the obvious disgust in his voice.

"No," was all she said back in a low voice. She sounded… ashamed.

"Than who?"

"Doesn't matter," she said, playing with her hair and looking at the ceiling, worriedly.

"Right. Tell me what happened. Where did he send you last night?"

"How do you know about that?" she asked him, looking him in the eyes for the first time since he entered the room.

"Doesn't matter," he replied, and stared her down until she went back to looked at her knees and picking at her ruined tights.

"He… sent me to get Him someone… a man. And the first night I went to him, and I talked to him, and I found out about him, and at the very end… I told him who I worked for, and he became very upset and he… hurt me."

Rodolphus looked at her. He wanted to know more, know details, but he didn't want to press her.

"I told Him what happened, and He told me to go again. I asked to bring you or someone else, and He said to go, it would be a test of my skill. So I went back, and met him at this restaurant, and he had this group of friends with him. So… I had no choice but to try and convince all of them that our master is the way. But they weren't hearing any of it. They told me to come behind the restaurant with them, and if my master was any good he would have given me the training to beat them, or he'd come help me. I… tried my hardest, but I could only take about half of them. They were dark wizards… just not in alignment with Him. They didn't care if I was a girl, I was just a message to send back to my master."

"What did He say when you went back?"

"I… I didn't."

"Bell!"

"I know… I just couldn't after I had failed him… again. I came here and I've been here ever since."

"He couldn't expect you to beat them all!"

"Rod! He doesn't tolerate failure! And I'm trying to be the best! You don't understand. You always are fine being just average, just satisfactory, but that's not enough for me." Bellatrix stood up, and looked in the mirror. She held on to the sink ledge. Involuntarily, Rodolphus stood up too, hanging on to her every word.

"I need to excel. I need to be the best. And I never am, I always fall short, always. You never try too hard, but you always manage to do fine. You always manage to do great…" Rodolphus walked up behind Bellatrix and wrapped his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her head, looking at the pair of them in the mirror, surprised when she did not flinch away. He was struck by how candid she was being. He had never heard Bellatrix speak so openly about her emotions before.

"Do you think that any other death eater is as dedicated as you?" he asked. "He sees that. Do you think that any other student is going to do as well on the N.E.W.T.s as you? No way. Do you think that either of your sisters will impress your parents as much as you do? No. You are the best, Bell, don't worry." He pressed his lips into her hair and she smiled.

Composing herself, Bellatrix turned from Rodolphus's grasp and kissed him on the lips. Then she grabbed her robes from the stall door and put them on, smoothing them over her clothes. She walked back in the direction of the common room with Rodolphus right behind her, content at last.

"You know, you will have to see Him soon, right?" he asked her.

"Yeah, but you'll have to see Louis, so we're even," she teased.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long. I've been super busy these last few weeks. I'll try to update more frequently now, though. Please read and review (:**

Rodolphus finally felt at peace the next morning as he sat beside Bellatrix at the Slytherin table for breakfast. She held a steaming mug of tea in one hand and silently slipped the other hand into his and squeezed. Her hand felt cold. Rodolphus used his free hand to eat some breakfast, but before the meal was finished, he saw the familiar group of Slytherins stand, and felt his forearm prickle.

Bellatrix nearly choked on her tea in surprise as she felt her Dark Mark, and Rodolphus could sympathize, he knew she was nervous to see Voldemort again. He stood up and she followed soon after, falling into step between Rodolphus and Rabastan.

Once they were in the tunnel, the boys began to talk. Crabbe was ranting about some Quidditch team, while Rosier was worrying loudly about his N.E.W.T.s. Bellatrix remained silent, her eyes firmly fixed ahead of her in a determined stare.

At Voldemort's mansion, the Death Eaters fell silent and walked in pairs up the gravel path, the familiar crunch under their feet sounding strangely menacing to Rodolphus this morning. They entered the door which creaked on its hinges, and moved towards the back of the house over creaking floorboards and below leaky ceiling tiles. For the first time, Rodolphus noticed the exact state of disrepair the house had fallen into, and he had a strange moment of doubt as to whether or not he should really put his blind faith in a man who lived in a place as run down as this.

They got into the back room, and Voldemort's presence was felt at once. The temperature dropped about fifteen degrees as Rodolphus entered the meeting room, and he turned his eyes immediately to Voldemort who had a pained yet triumphant face on. He looked exhausted, and he was filthy. Still, he carried that sort of grandeur and power that gave him full command of the people before him. After each Death Eater had bowed to their master, they sat around the long, dirty table.

"My followers, it is a most special day." The Death Eaters looked to one another, unsure of what their master was referring to. He slowly extended his hand forward, showing them a locket on a gold chain.

"My lord?" asked Goyle. "Is that Slytherin's?" Rodolphus had noticed the crest also.

"Yes, this locket did once belong to Salazar Slytherin, but now, it is of great importance to me." Voldemort's eyes lit up with an evil glint. "In it, I have stored something extremely powerful, extremely dark. This locket makes me invincible. This locket makes me unstoppable. This is why this locket must be hidden with extreme care."

"My lord," began Bellatrix, "Have you made a H-"

"Bella! How dare you speak! How dare you hold your head up after you have failed your mission last night! Did you think that in light of this victory I may have forgotten your failures?"

"No… no my Lord," she whispered, looking at the table.

"You have failed me, and because of this, an important contact is now lost… is now our enemy! You should be ashamed. You should be punished for your failure!"

Bellatrix nodded slowly, accepting her fate, tears of embarrassment flooding her eyes. Rodolphus stood, unable to tolerate Voldemort's treatment of Bellatrix any longer.

"No! She was outnumbered last night! She was hurt by them, and now you want to punish her more? She knows she didn't complete the mission, and she is sorry, but can we not just celebrate your victory, my Lord?" Rodolphus tried to remain as respectful as possible, but he could see his knuckles turning white as he gripped the table in frustration.

Voldemort smiled slightly but did not speak, considering Rodolphus with a glance. His stare made Rodolphus feel uncomfortable and out of place, so he sat and stared at the cracks in the table. "Well," began Voldemort, "Bella's boyfriend wants me to spare his little girlfriend." Voldemort spoke teasingly, but no one laughed.

"She knows what she got herself into. When you fail a mission, you are at my mercy. She is not to be treated any differently because she is a girl."

Rodolphus opened his mouth to speak again, but was stopped by Bellatrix's hand squeezing his thigh. Rodolphus slowly shut his mouth without speaking, and Voldemort stood, seemingly engrossed in the paintings on the far wall, such that his back was turned to his followers.

"We have a most important task to attend to," he said, ending the discussion of Bellatrix, at least for now. "This…" He thrust the locket forward, "Must be hidden with the utmost care. Unbeknownst to you, you have separately been working at preparing a place where this treasure will be safe. We shall now venture there, and complete the task."

"The cave…" said Rababstan, under his breath.

"Indeed," replied Voldemort. "Let us go."

They ventured outside to the edge of the gravel path, outside of all the protective charms surrounding the mansion, and apparated to the site of the cave.

They suddenly appeared near the coast, a bleak, black group among the black, gray surroundings. A light sprinkle of rain came down, and the distant rumble of thunder hung in the heavy air. Rodolphus shuddered and felt Bellatrix move closer to him, her arms crossed tightly across her front in a gesture to keep herself warm. Rodolphus could tell that they were both feeling fearful of the creepy cave where they had spent nights creating an army of inferi.

Voldemort moved with determination towards the entrance, seemingly gliding over the glistening grass. He moved at such a pace that the others were out of breath when they entered the first cave. Voldemort ducked into the smaller cave, and the others followed through a narrow entrance, single file. They assembled themselves in a semi-circle, all staring at their master, preparing for orders. Voldemort turned to look at a small boat in the pond, and Rodolphus looked too. That hadn't been there when he was last there, and neither did the large basin which now sat in the middle of the center island. He could see the sickly, pale bodies of the inferi hovering just below the surface of the water. He took a step back, involuntarily.

Voldemort then looked back at the Death Eaters, considering each one. His eyes settled on Bellatrix and Rodolphus. "Because I know you are both very skilled, and because you need to be punished for your disrespect and failures, I think that it shall be your task to deliver this locket to the basin. Just put it in, and the enchantments will be complete. Then you are to row back to this side, and we shall seal this cave."

Rodolphus watched as the color slowly drained from Bellatrix's face. She bit her lip, and stared at the pond, placid for now, but filled with horrible creatures. He felt suddenly sick, and wanted nothing more than to be back at Hogwarts, but he felt her grab his hand and felt himself begin to move. Voldemort watched as they approached the boat, and Rodolphus felt uncomfortable. He slipped his arm from her hand under the pretense of reaching for his wand, only to realize that his wand was not necessary.

Voldemort handed the locket to Bellatrix. He stepped back, facing them the entire time. The silence was awful. Rodolphus shoved the boat into the pond, and held it steady as Bellatrix climbed in. He climbed in also, careful not to touch the water. They paddled towards the center, eyes fixed on the basin.

At the other side, Bellatrix climbed out, then held the boat for Rodolphus. He saw her glance up and see all the others watching them, and saw her hand shudder. "Bell," he called, trying to get her to focus. She steadied the boat, and he got out. His foot slipped on the slippery bank, sending pebbles down into the pond below, but he scrambled up the bank and walked towards the basin. Bellatrix dropped the locket in, and it arranged itself in the liquid inside, aligning itself with the center of the dish.

Bellatrix and Rodolphus got back into the boat, and paddled back across. They got out and bowed to Voldemort. "Very good. I suppose now that you have proven yourselves worthy followers." He took one glance back and surveyed the cave, then stepped out, the others following close behind him.

Rodolphus breathed a sigh of relief as he exited back into the larger cave. He saw some of the tension in Bellatrix's usually tight shoulders alleviate. He wanted to reassure her, tell her she was back in favor with Voldemort, maybe even tell her how he felt about her, but in Voldemort's presence, he couldn't will himself to move.

Voldemort whispered incantation after incantation, sealing the cave tightly. He had extended the wall of the cave so that there was no longer an entrance to the smaller cave, just one solid back wall of the first cave. He finished with a grand flourish of his wand, and set off back into the afternoon outside.

The Death Eater's apparated to Hogsmeade after Voldemort's dismissal, and ventured off back towards the castle. They arrived, finally, and went their separate ways. Bellatrix immediately went off towards the library, but Rodolphus grabbed her arm and stopped her. She turned to face him, curious, and he led her up the stairs to the astronomy tower, abandoned at this time.

They looked back over the grounds, and did not speak for several minutes. Finally, Rodolphus swallowed nervously and spoke. "So, Bell…" he began, feeling awkward. "Do you think… what we have, is serious?"

She looked up at him, regarding him silently. Then she looked down shyly and nodded. "I suppose so, Rod." She answered, somewhat distantly. "I mean, there's no one else…" she trailed off.

"No one else what?" he prodded.

"No one else I'd rather be with," she said, smiling.

Rodolphus had an intrusive thought that she was lying, and he suddenly pictured her hand-in-hand with Voldemort. He shuddered at the thought, pushing it away. "Good," he said. They did not speak again, but looked out at the grounds, wondering about the future.


	21. Chapter 21

**New chapter, finally! Sorry I've been gone for ages, but I should be back to updating more regularly now. Here you go! :)**

Chapter 21

Rodolphus could not ever remember it being as difficult to transfigure something as it was to turn his newt into a rucksack. He kept ending up with mutated hybrids of the two, but he could not completely turn one into the other. He watched as Bellatrix easily transfigured hers back and forth, and even saw Rosier do it before he slammed his wand down in a huff.

He blamed his inability on lack of sleep. He had been called to Voldemort's side several nights this week, on top of all the homework he was expected to finish, and the homework that Voldemort had been assigning his Death Eaters. Lately this had consisted mostly of reading, which was most definitely more of Bellatrix's thing than Rodolphus's.

Bellatrix slept less than he did and worked harder than he did too. She outperformed him in nearly everything, although as of late, her dueling had been suffering, as well as her potions, due to her distracted nature. Her unforgivable were still the best, though. Her cheeks were sunken, and dark circles mirrored her heavy eyelids. She was still gorgeous, with her long, messy black hair and seductive stance, but Rodolphus could tell she was overworked, overwrought, and exhausted.

After transfiguration, Rodolphus went out to the Quidditch pitch with Rosier. He was walked out across the lawn, carrying his broom, his feet getting soaked in the slushy snow that covered the ground in late February. They got to the pitch to find several Gryffindors leaving. The Gryffindor boys approached them, and stopped.

"Hear you're up to some naughty things, Lestrange," said the one boy, named Nick. His friends snickered. Rodolphus tried to push past them, but Nick stepped in front of him again, blocking his path.

"Hear you're serving under a dark, dark wizard, isn't that right? You're part of his little uprising. You think you're going to do something special, yeah?" Nick grabbed Rodolphus's arm as he instinctively reached for his wand.

"You too, Rosier," piped up another boy, named Anthony. "You, and Lestrange, and his brother, and there're all you other bad ones in Slytherin. There's Crabbe, Goyle, I'll bet anything MacNair, and maybe even that pretty little cousin of yours…" he trailed off, tauntingly. Rodolphus struggled against Nick's grip, angry at the boys.

"Ha!" said Nick, "She better be in it. She's the only one out of the lot of them with any skill, and I'll bet anything that dark wizard has his eye on her isn't that right… Rodolphus?"

Rodolphus gritted his teeth and finally shook out of Nick's grasp. "Stop talking about my girlfriend like that!" he yelled. Several people turned towards them at the sound of his shout, and Nick reached for his wand.

"Ahh, your girlfriend, is it, Lestrange? We'll see for how long." He smirked a secure smile and then looked back at Rodolphus. "I do have to give this Dark Lord credit, he has good taste!"

Nick's laugh was cut off as Rodolphus's spell hit him in the stomach, knocking him backwards. Nick got up quickly, and retaliated with a quick spell of his own, grazing Rodolphus's arm. Rodolphus was about to send a curse towards Nick when suddenly his last jet of light bounced back at him, and he saw Nick's do the same. He glanced to the side, and saw Bellatrix about twenty feet away, casting a strong shield charm between the boys.

Anthony and Nick quickly gathered their things and walked away, back towards the school, knowing a teacher might be coming out soon. Nick grazed Bellatrix's shoulder as he passed her, and Rodolphus caught her glancing back at him. Rosier grabbed his broomstick and walked towards the pitch, leaving Rodolphus with Bellatrix.

"Look at you," she mocked. "Defending my honor?"

"I just didn't want him to get away with saying those things about you," Rodolphus said quietly as they began to walk in a wide circle around the pitch. Bellatrix fingered one of her silky curls.

"They weren't really that bad," she laughed, "I've heard much worse."

"You and Voldemort…" Rodolphus said suddenly, then stopped.

"There is no Voldemort and me," she reassured him, but she seemed almost wistful.

"You were going to curse him. Do you know what kind of trouble that would have landed you in?" she continued on, changing the subject.

"Yeah, I know, I wasn't thinking. He was just making me so angry."

"Good thing I was there to stop you," she smiled.

Later that night, Rodolphus came back to the common room after eating dinner in the Great Hall. He hadn't seen Bellatrix there, and so he came to find her to study with him. As he approached the common room door, he heard voices and found MacNair waiting outside.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you," said MacNair.

"And why's that?" asked Rodolphus.

"Bellatrix's sister did something… and she's not too happy about it."

Rodolphus instantly felt worried for Narcissa, but then he remembered she had been down in the Great Hall with Lucius, and there was no way she could have gotten to the common room before him. He realized it must be Andromeda, who he didn't really know as well. He pressed his ear to the door, and MacNair resumed his post listening next to him.

"-a mudblood! Maybe you don't understand this. His family had no magical blood! None! He is filth! There is no lineage, no ancestors to trace. Just regular old, disgusting muggles for parents. He is infecting the school by being here. Infecting you by being near you! Oh lord, you didn't, you haven't…?"

Andromeda's voice was softer and Rodolphus had to press his ear hard to the door to understand what she was saying. "You don't understand. He is just like me and you. He is smart, and talented and clever and I like him so much!"

"What are mother and father going to say? They're going to be mad at me because I didn't stop it sooner. You know better than to get attached to mudbloods! How could I not see it?"

"I really don't know, Bell. It was pretty obvious. It's probably because all you do is that messed-up dark magic these days, and you never come to meals or sleep in your bed. Maybe you have the problem and not me!"

"Shut up!" yelled Bellatrix, and Rodolphus heard a crash. He got up and opened the door just as Andromeda swung her wand in retaliation. Bellatrix and Rodolphus were thrown back against the wall, hard. Andromeda dashed out.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Rodolphus was grateful for the spring break that came a few days later, because Bellatrix and Andromeda were becoming frighteningly angry with each other. Andromeda knew that as soon as Bellatrix got home and told their parents about her relationship with Ted Tonks, she would be forced to break it off, or to leave the family. Then, she supposed, Bella and Cissy could have the perfect family they always wanted, while she could be with Ted, the only person she felt truly loved her.

As for Rodolphus, he hoped to have Bellatrix stay with his family during the break, since Narcissa was going to stay with the Malfoys. He went down to the Great Hall for some breakfast on the last day before break, chatting with his brother about Quidditch and classes, and feeling strangely at ease for the first time in ages. The Dark Lord was going on a special secret mission over the next week, so aside from all the work he had assigned the Death Eaters to do, they would have no obligations to him that week.

Bellatrix seemed more cheerful as well. She came down to breakfast, tugging a giant book as usual, but she had some fruit and tea, and struck up conversation with some people. A few minutes after she sat down, Professor Slughorn came up to the table and asked for a word with Bellatrix. He looked uncomfortable.

"We can speak here, professor, it's alright," she said, smiling at him.

"Alright, then," he replied, pausing. "It's just that over the past couple of weeks, the quality of your work has been suffering, and your grade is slipping in my class. I just wanted to make sure that everything is alright. You're not having any trouble with the material, or any problems that would prevent you from completing your work up to your usual standard?"

Bellatrix looked up at him, considering. She looked disappointed in herself, and embarrassed; Bellatrix Black did not struggle at anything. "No, professor, there is no need to worry. I fell behind in my work these last few weeks, but I'm catching up on everything again. My work will be back to its usual standard after break, I can assure you."

Rodolphus had to give her credit, she was a wonderful sweet talker. Slughorn had been there last week when she made her first appearance at dueling club in ages, and had been completely pummeled by a sixth-year Ravenclaw. She was hit with a hex she could normally block in her sleep, and the ensuing disorientation the spell caused allowed the sixth-year to win. Now Slughorn seemed completely placated, and wandered away mumbling about her wonderful dissertation on the properties of this-and-that.

A few days later, Rodolphus was at home, preparing for Bellatrix to arrive. Rabastan was cleaning up piles of clothes and rubbish from the floor of his room, and Rodolphus wandered in. "Do you think mother and father will like her?" he asked his brother, unsure of what the answer might be.

"She comes from a completely pureblood family, she supports the Dark Lord's cause, and she's bloody brilliant… and attractive." Rabastan did not even bother to point out that these were exactly the traits the Lestrange parents adored.

Both boys were suddenly interrupted by Madam Lestrange calling her sons downstairs. Waiting in the entryway, holding a suitcase was Bellatrix. She looked perfect, wearing a black dress and gloves, her hair tied into a fancy bun. She smiled when she saw Rodolphus, and ran forward and gave him a small kiss. He introduced her to his parents, both of whom seemed delighted by her.

A few cups of tea later, Bellatrix found herself leaning in a doorway to the Lestrange's shed, gazing at the brothers polishing their broomsticks, eager to take them out now that most of the snow had melted. Belaltrix herself was a pretty adept flyer, she just never had much opportunity to fly, since she wasn't on the Quidditch team, and her father would not allow his daughters to fly at home.

"Do they know?" she asked to no one in particular.

"About Voldemort?" asked Rodolphus.

"Yeah, have you told them you've joined up?"

"No, we really didn't know whether we should over Christmas, and then we really never got an opportunity to."

"I suppose we're just waiting to make sure it's alright, we want father to mention the cause or something, to make sure he supports it," chimed in Rabastan. "By the way, Evan is coming later tonight. Mother let me have him here during break."

"Fantastic…" sighed Bellatrix. She then laughed a little and began to polish the third broom lying in the shed, Rodolphus's old one, she was later informed.

After an afternoon of impressing the brothers with her flying skills and greeting Evan, who seemed very agreeable, the four were called to dinner by Madam Lestrange.

"How nice it is to finally meet you, dear," said Madam Lestrange over a delicious dinner prepared by the family's house elf, Miffy.

"A pleasure," said Bellatrix, ever the charmer.

"Roddy says that you're just the most delightful girl he's ever met, and I'm glad you two have each other, what with all the goings-on about a Dark Lord on the rise."

"Now you hear me," added Mr. Lestrange, looking at his sons, "You don't go messing around in all that 'Voldemort' business. That is bad news. And you stay away from riff-raff who have joined him, got it?"

Bellatrix nearly choked on a sip from her goblet while the color drained from the boys faces. They nodded slowly. Rodolphus saw Rosier unconsciously rub his arm.

"Mama, I've heard he isn't so bad, he's fighting for blood-purity and all," Rabastan ventured.

"At what cost?" she said quietly. "At the cost of the muggle-borns and the half-bloods and the half-breeds?"

Mr. Lestrange continued, "And not only that, since I value blood purity as much as the next wizard, but isn't he really just seeking power? He wants to recruit young kids so that he can indoctrinate them, only to push himself into higher power, displacing a working order!"

All of the kids looked at their food, pushing at around in their plates. No one dared speak again. Finally, Mr. Lestrange said, "It sounds like you've been talking to them. That needs to stop. They're no-good, and they're an awful influence on a young mind. I've raised you better than that."

Late, late that night, Rodolphus lay in bed, unable to fall asleep because of the growing knot in his chest. He kept replaying the dinner conversation in his head, and it made him uneasy. On top of that, he felt like his thoughts were racing out of control and he couldn't settle down.

He got up, and slowly slipped down the hallway to the guest room Bellatrix was staying in. She was sitting up, wearing only her undergarments, her knees pulled to her chest. Rain beat down against the windows and the low roll of thunder could be heard. Rodolphus peeled off his shirt and sat next to her on the bed, letting out a deep sigh as he sunk into the mattress. Bellatrix moved her small hands in soothing motions around his back.

"Damn it," he said in almost a whisper.

"Come here," she said, pulling him into an embrace. She kissed him, softly at first then more hungrily until she let out a small cry of pain. She fell back onto the bed, clutching her arm and suddenly Rodolphus felt it too. He was close. Bellatrix got up and put on a light nightgown, and Rodolphus put his shirt back on. They crept downstairs and peered out the front door, where they saw a dark figure standing on the path to the entrance.

Before Rodolphus could take a coat from the rack, Bellatrix had opened the door and gone out to Voldemort. Rodolphus could see his brother and Evan coming down the stairs, and the three of them followed Bellatrix out into the pouring rain. Bellatrix was already soaked when they reached Voldemort, who was wearing a hooded cape over his black robes to keep his face dry.

"What are you doing here, my Lord?" asked Rosier.

"I just took a little break from my travels to see some of my protégés.

"Ah, Rodolphus," sneered Voldemort, "You never had the skills of Occlumency that your girlfriend was so skilled at, did you?"

"Pardon, my Lord?" asked Rodolphus, a sinking feeling entering his gut.

"Such an interesting dinner conversation tonight, not to mention… what a beautiful girlfriend you have," said Voldemort, stroking Bellatrix's cheek. She looked down and stepped behind Rodolphus, for once ashamed of getting the attention of her master. "With parents so unwilling to embrace the cause, there is but one thing to do."

"Yes, my Lord?" said Rodolphus, watching a grin appear on Voldemort's face.

"We shall make them support us! They can't really have well-formed opinions until they've met us, isn't that right?"

And with that he strode into the house, his four, wet, barefooted death eaters in tow. He climbed the stairs with a flourish, and entered directly into the room of Mr. and Mrs. Lestrange. "Up, up, wake up!" he commanded, and he instantly immobilized them.

"I heard, through, well, through your son's mind, that you're not a fan of me!" the Lestrange parents had horror-stricken faces. "Rodolphus, use the Cruciatus on them!"

"My Lord… I can't…." Rodolphus looked horrified.

"Do it, or I'll do it to your girlfriend!"

Bellatrix gave Rodolphus a small nod, telling him not to do it, and he clenched his teeth together, wishing for anything but to be in this situation. "Crucio!" cried Voldemort and his spell his Bellatrix hard, although she was unusually good at resisting it. She screamed and writhed under the curse's power, until Voldemort stopped it after about a minute. She lay limply on the floor.

"Do it now!" cried Voldemort angrily, or this will continue! "Come on, Rabastan, Rodolphus, you each take one. Curse them for their own good, so they know who they owe their allegiance to!"

Voldemort cursed Bellatrix again, and then kneeled down beside her. He straddled his legs over hers and kissed her, slowly, while she was still in a dazed state.

"No! Stop! Cr- Crucio!" cried Rodolphus and his immobilized parents were hit with the curse. He released it and released the curse holding them still. They looked at him, shocked and betrayed.

"That's a little better. Now, let's see… Avada Kedavra!"

And suddenly, Madam Lestrange was dead.

And suddenly, Voldemort was gone.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Annddddd we're back. I hope. Sorry about the long hiatus. Reviews make me update faster (:**

Chapter 23

Rodolphus fell to his knees. This could not be happening. Rabastan was leaning over their mother's limp, pale frame, while Rosier and Bellatrix looked on, sitting on the floor, drenched. No one said anything for about a minute, and the only sounds Rodolphus could hear was Rabastan's sobbing and… himself crying. He was surprised to find himself in tears, and he glanced downward at Bellatrix, who looked back at him, with an unreadable expression on her face.

Suddenly, Mr. Lestrange got his voice back. "I can't believe it…. After all that, you're in cahoots with him! You let him in here! You let him, you le-" his words were cut off as his throat closed up in grief. Rodolphus looked back at his father, ashamed, and began to back up towards the bedroom wall. He could see his father's anger growing.

"You led him here, you let him up here! He performed a Cruciatus on your girlfriend and killed your mother! The crazy misogynist! And you, you, serve him?" Tears were now streaming down Mr. Lestrange's face as he held his dead wife.

"You all do, don't you? You all would follow him to the ends of the earth, wouldn't you? And you know what good it will do you? None! He'll gain power, sure, but you, oh, he'll just be rid of you. Hear me now, he will kill you or let you rot in Azkaban before he lifts a pinky to help any of you!"

"Father, I'm so s-" Rodolphus began, but he was cut off.

"Out! Get out of my house, the lot of you! I will not take you living here anymore, now that I know where your allegiances lie. Do not try to apologize now! Just…. Get out." He finished quietly and looked down at his wife.

Rosier helped Bellatrix up and they ran down to the guest rooms to pack their trunks. The brothers packed up trunks as quickly as they could and they left the house. They used the Floo powder located above the Lestrange's roaring fireplace to get to Knockturn Alley, where they all had the good sense to pull up the large hoods of their dark cloaks.

As they walked hastily down the main road, several warlocks and hags approached them, groping at them, but Rodolphus shook them off in anger and self-resentment. They finally got to the run-down inn at the end of the Alley, and were gazed at suspiciously by the innkeeper, who led them to two rooms at the uppermost floor of the shabby place.

Rodolphus didn't want to share a room with anyone, particularly. He felt that Rabastan would blame him for their mother's death, and Bellatrix would be mad that he hurt her (or that he had disappointed the Dark Lord, which was far more likely, he thought darkly). He didn't even want to face Rosier, because he thought that his friend would think that he fell easily under pressure, and couldn't do anything to stop the tragedy of his mother's death. In the end, he dropped his trunks in the room with Bellatrix, and hoped that Rosier could offer more comforting words to Rabastan than he himself could.

Rodolphus sat on the bed, his elbows on his knees, and rubbed his face in his hands. He was wet and dirty and didn't much feel like sleeping, since the night had been so eventful. He had much to think about, however, including how he felt about Voldemort now, and how responsible he was for what had happened.

Bellatrix was taking a bath so he had the room to himself for a while. He took off his shirt and put on a clean one, and dried his hair with the old shirt. Once he had changed into pants comfortable for sleeping in, he settled down on the bed again.

Voldemort.

He could not figure his master out, no matter what angle he approached him from. 'What motive would he possibly have for making me do that?' he sat, puzzled, for quite a long time before chucking his wand to the other side of the room in a rage. He was quite disgusted with himself at the moment.

Of course, he couldn't leave. No, there was no quitting Voldemort's ranks, and those who were disloyal were punished most severely. Still, he couldn't help but feel rage at Voldemort. Voldemort was supposed to be a leader, strong and able, yet he did irrational things like torturing his followers and killing their families. But even as he thought mean thoughts about Voldemort's demise, he knew that he would find himself sitting before him once again in days' time, carrying out his orders as always, fearing his wrath and forgetting what evil he had done.

A few minutes later Bellatrix walked in. She was wearing a bathrobe and she came to sit beside him on the bed. She looked pale and shaken up a bit, he suspected it was the aftermath of Voldemort's Cruciatus curse. "Why did you do it?" she asked, and he wasn't quite sure of what she was asking, for he had done many things that night. Then suddenly, she entered his mind and showed him his own memory of casting the Cruciatus curse on his parents.

For the first time he could remember, Rodolphus closed her out of his mind, mainly because he himself did not want to look at them memory again. She looked at him imploringly, flashing him a small, impressed smile for his use of Occlumency.

"I did it because I was under pressure. I did it because I didn't like hearing you scream. I did it because I knew his patience was wearing thin and I didn't want to defy him in case he would do something horrible. It didn't work, I know."

She held one of his large hands in both of hers. "You did alright."

He hated the way this made him feel instantly better. "What would you have done? You know, as me?"

She paused for only a moment before answering him. "Well, I suppose I would have chosen a side and stuck to it. I would have either let him torture me until he decided I wasn't giving in, or I would have done what he said from the beginning, hoping it would spare my parents further. Personally, I wouldn't mind giving them a few seconds of pain…" she added as an afterthought. Rodolphus couldn't tell if she was joking.

"Well I wasn't about to let him torture you into insanity! And what would my parents think of me if I instantly did what he said?"

"What does your father think of you now?" And with that, she flipped off the light, and got into bed beside him. After a few minutes, Rodolphus rolled over and pulled her closer, glad she was still on his side, now that he had lost his parents.

The next morning, Rodolphus got up and bathed, spent about ten minutes finding his wand after throwing it the night before, and then got dressed. Bellatrix glanced at him lazily from the bed. "Come on," he told her, "We're meeting Rabastan and Evan for breakfast."

"I hate breakfast," she shot back at him. Still, she slowly got out of bed and changed. This was the first time he could remember her actually taking her time to do anything, usually she was scurrying from place to place. "You OK?" asked Rodolphus.

"I'm fine," she said firmly, and turned as she lifted a nightdress over her head. Rodolphus gazed at her with interest, but she immediately threw on one of her favorite black dresses.

"Hey, come here," he said, as she tried to push past him to get to her boots. He held her in front of him and kissed her, she kissed him back after her immediate shock had vanished. "I'm sorry about last night," he said, genuinely.

"I can take it. I knew what I was signing up for, remember?"

They went across the street to a grungy pub, wearing their hooded cloaks once again. The boys indulged in a hearty breakfast while Bellatrix only ordered some tea. Rabastan seemed quieter than usual, and, Rodolphus thought, he's usually quiet to begin with, but he didn't seem to hold any sort of grudge towards Rodolphus. On the contrary, he seemed relieved that _he_ didn't have to do anything for Voldemort the night before.

Suddenly, the door clanged open and eight or so boys tramped inside, settling down at a table on the opposite side of the room. "Shit!" cried Bellatrix, "Keep your heads down. It's Lucius Malfoy, and I do not feel like having a conversation with him today." Rodolphus laughed a little at Bellatrix's hate of Narcissa's boyfriend, but he did as he was told. As they ate, Malfoy's bragging voice carried across the small room.

"…think it's quite ugly myself. And now I've got to watch myself so no one sees it. Still, it's quite an honor…"

"…can't wait to learn the Unforgivables…"

The four looked at each other and simultaneously stood up and sat at Malfoy's table. Bellatrix spoke first. "Two questions, boys," she said, in an uncharacteristically flattering way.

"What's that?" asked Malfoy, smugly, obviously the spokesman of the group.

"Tell me the Dark Lord didn't invite you to join his inner circle."

"Well, not all of us have achieved that great honor, but myself and Mulciber have indeed been branded." He pulled his sleeve up, and Rodolphus could see that he was not lying. "What was your other question?" he asked Bellatrix, sliding his arm over her sleeve where her dark mark lay hidden.

"My second question is what the fuck you think you're doing, showing off like that?" Bellatrix still hadn't taken off her hood. Much to Rodolphus pleasure, she swatted Malfoy's hand away. "Your identity is everything, and beyond that, you are not to let anyone know who you are loyal to! What I just heard a moment ago was a horrible thing to have overheard. You could compromise us all! I don't know why he saw you fit to join him!"

Bellatrix stood up and strode off, heading up the street. "She's right," said Rosier. "Don't let anything else slip."

Malfoy looked like he understood the mistake he made, but he still looked angry. "What entitles her to go around policing us?" he asked.

"The fact that she's looking out for you, and for him, and the fact that she's a bloody good Death Eater," said Rodolphus in a hushed voice. "Don't make trouble with her and she won't give you any." He stood too and Rosier and Rabastan got up, paid, and left.

They wandered after Bellatrix wondering if Voldemort was so serious about gathering forces, he would take just about anyone.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

It was true. Malfoy was a death eater. He came to meetings, snuck out of the common room with the older group, and forced himself into their lives.

It did not make him popular amongst them. He was easily beatable in dueling, and he was annoying to speak to for too long. He slacked off on his work, relying instead on his wealth and ancestry to get him out of trouble. He was careless about sneaking off to see Voldemort, and he often was caught by older death eaters on the verge of releasing top secret information to someone who shouldn't hear it. Malfoy was a terrible death eater, but the Dark Lord has his reasons, so they allowed him to tag along.

Malfoy's entry into the inner circle did have one unexpected result. Rodolphus began to notice how the Hogwart's death eaters initiated earlier now formed a group out of mutual respect, and could even consider one another friends. He stood in awe as he entered the common room to see Bellatrix explaining the transfiguration homework to Crabbe, and Rabastan and Macnair playing a game of wizard's chess in the corner. It seemed that being friends with each other was certainly better than accepting Malfoy and his cronies right away.

Voldemort, it was revealed, was working with the werewolves, trying to convince them to come to the Dark side. He wanted them behind him, helping his cause. It seemed that for some clans, he would trust no death eaters to complete the task satisfactorily and set out himself. This meant fewer meetings over the next couple of weeks, which relaxed Rodolphus quite a bit.

Rodolphus was just entering the Great Hall when Rabastan caught up to him. The brothers sat down together at the end of the Slytherin table, away from prying ears. Rodolphus caught sight of Rosier and Bellatrix entering the Great Hall together, but they had the good sense to sit at another section of the table. "Rab, I'm-"

"No, don't say it, it's just… it's becoming too much. This isn't your fault, don't take it like that, but with him literally in our home, and around our parents, Merlin Rod, he can command you to torture your girlfriend. You'd probably kill her if he asked you to. I just, I can't let myself become that. I have to stop, for my own sake," he finished. He sighed and looked up at his brother with tired eyes.

Rodolphus felt immensely for his younger brother. Even though Rabastan didn't want him to feel guilty, he still felt as if he should have looked out for him more. Still, something now was getting in the way of him comforting his brother. "Rab, I don't think it's that simple…"

Rabastan took a large swig of pumpkin juice and gulped it down. "What do you mean?" he asked, nervously.

"Well, you haven't ever seen anyone leave Voldemort, have you? I mean, he doesn't just let people go. You have his mark, you pretty much belong to him now. I can't see you asking him to leave and coming out of there alive."

Rabastan paled as this realization hit him full force. Rodolphus figured he had probably suspected this much himself, but to hear it aloud must be much worse, much more devastating. He belonged to Voldemort for the rest of his life. It didn't matter if he didn't like it anymore. It didn't matter if it got too dangerous, too unpopular, too unbearable; he had to do it.

Rabastan got up and left half of his breakfast uneaten, mumbling something about the library. Bellatrix walked up behind Rodolphus moments later, with Rosier at her side. "Lovely day for a walk, isn't it?" he asked, playfully hitting Rodolphus's shoulder to make him eat faster.

A few minutes later, the trio found themselves on the front lawn of the castle, embracing the lovely spring day that they were graced with this Saturday. As usual, the lake was too crowded and the lawns were filled with students walking, sitting, and playing, so they walked to the edge of the Forbidden Forest and surreptitiously snuck inside.

It was dark and cool in the forest, but not oppressive like it was in the dank tunnels under the school. They strode around aimlessly for some time, chatting about this and that until Bellatrix stopped them and put a finger to her lips. Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out the sound.

To Rodolphus, it sounded as if a bunch of fireworks were going off, but just the squealing noise fireworks make, not the pop. There was also some muttering and a bunch of rustling. Rosier led the way as they crept forward, peering between tree branches into a clearing.

A hooded figure stood near a stump of a tree, and next to the tree, bound together, were various small animals collected from the forest. One by one, the wizard was placing the scared animals onto the stump and practicing various incantations on them, resulting in the squealing noise Rodolphus had heard before. It was twisted, and even Bellatrix had a look of disgust on her face. Her mouth was open, her lips forming the word, "…who?" but neither Rodolphus nor Rosier had an answer for her.

Suddenly the sound of hooves filled the air of the forest, and several centaurs appeared in the scene. The figure turned to face them, wand raised. "What are you doing to the creatures of the forest?" asked one tall, golden centaur.

"It's none of your business!" answered a small voice which Rodolphus recognized immediately.

"It is my business when you are senselessly killing innocent creatures with dark magic. I should tell your headmaster!"

"No, no, no!" shouted Malfoy, beginning to panic, his hood slipping off a little. Rodolphus felt Bellatrix move from behind him and wondered what she was up to, a little nervous for her to get involved.

"Malfoy! That's where you are… and oh, what are you doing! This is just appalling, Malfoy! Filch sent me to look for you since you were late to meet him for your detention last night, but I suppose I'll have to take you to the headmaster and sort out a new punishment as well. We'll be going now, Ronan," said Bellatrix, dragging Malfoy off. Rodolphus wasn't sure is Ronan believed them or not, but Bellatrix was ever the flatterer and she had a good lie. Once Ronan and the others set off again, Rosier and Rodolphus rushed to catch up.

They found Bellatrix and Malfoy not fifty feet off, locked in a duel. Malfoy was throwing a spell at her, which she was absorbing easily into a shield charm. "I don't- need you- to get me out of trouble!" he said, finishing his spell at the same time he finished his sentence. Bellatrix stumbled back a step or two but it gave her no trouble.

"Obviously you do, since you weren't handling that very well. You sounded like a scared wittle firsty." Malfoy shot another jinx at her, which she again shrugged off.

"Why… won't you- fight back!" yelled Malfoy as he shot a nasty purple hex at her.

"Because, you're obviously just taking your anger at your incompetence out on me. I should let you practice. Also, I can take you out in about eight seconds." Rodolphus didn't doubt her logic or this fact.

"Gahh!" yelled Malfoy as his spells grew more intense. "How can Cissy be so lovely and you so awful?" Now his spells were making Bellatrix work.

"That's it," she said. "I'm better than a squirrel, aren't I?" she teased.

"You're disgusting," he said, sending another spell her way.

"Let's go," she said to Rosier and Rodolphus, casting a tricky dome shaped shield charm around them until they moved away.

Once Rodolphus heard it, it was too late. They were about halfway out of the forest, and Bellatrix and Rodolphus were arguing about the various merits or some sort of rune knowledge was, when a shrill voice called out, "Confrigo!"

The earth came blasting up. There was a tremendous noise and Rodolphus was moved off his feet. He flew for about fifteen feet before coming down, hard, against a large tree trunk. He could see a hooded figure running off in the distance, but his vision was doubled- make that tripled, and he couldn't see much of anything.

"Evan?" he heard Bellatrix call, "Rod?"

Evan came limping over towards were Rodolphus was. He was covered in dirt and debris, and his arm had a gash in it. "Why would he set a blasting curse on us? I mean, Bellatrix saved him from that centaur, and she let him practice on her."

Bellatrix too had gotten up and now came over next to her cousin. She had a large bruise on her cheek, probably from whatever she landed on, and her robes her caked in mud. Rodolphus figured he looked about the same. "Aw, he's just a grouch. He wants us to know he's just as good a death eater as any of the rest!" she said, mockingly. They laughed a little and snuck back up to their dormitories, no easy task.

They washed off all the grime and grit of the forest, but it seemed that their cuts and bruises came from the curse itself and not the landing, since they were not healing from normal healing spells. Rodolphus said they should see Madam Wolfe, but Rosier and Bellatrix wore theirs proudly to supper.

Rodolphus thought Bellatrix still looked stunning. Malfoy was brooding over his dinner, upset that his afternoon didn't go as planned and that the cousins were as cheerful as ever. Rodolphus didn't see his brother anywhere around the Slytherin table, so he decided to check for him up in the dormitory. He heard a female voice coming from the dormitory, so he just stood outside the door, waiting and listening.

"Ready?" she asked.

The other person must have nodded because there was no verbal response. She then muttered an incantation, and gasped. He yelled in agony and Rodolphus opened the door. He saw his brother on the dormitory floor, his shirt off, with Andromeda Black beside him. Rabastan's forearm was bleeding immensely, and his face was contorted in pain. She looked horrified.

"Come on, Rab, we need to get you help… we need… help," said Rodolphus, slightly horrified.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

**review, and maybe i'll update again before ever. (: **

Rabastan's face was scrunched up in pain, and Rodolphus could think of no other solution than to take him to Madam Wolfe. He sent Andromeda off to fetch her sister and Evan and have then meet him in the hospital wing as he slung his arm around his brother and lifted him to his feet. Rabastan may have ben younger, but he was just as large as his brother, and he was not helping much, too overwhelmed with the pain in his arm. Rodolphus covered the injury to his brother's forearm hastily with a cloak, and they scurried together through the castle, careful to avoid other students and professors.

As soon as Madam Wolfe saw the gash, she took a sharp intake of breath and her face contorted into worried lines. Rodolphus wasn't sure if it was because of the injury or because of the twisted symbol underneath, barely recognizable. Rodolphus looked over his shoulder to see Bellatrix whispering with her cousin. Rodolphus held his brother's arm straight as Madam Wolfe set about to fixing it, and he could have sworn he saw a shadowy figure peer into the doorway and then leave a few seconds later. He had no time to consider this, however as his brother was groaning in agony.

Once Madam Wolfe had stopped the bleeding and repaired most of the magical damage, she set Rabastan down on a cot to sleep off the trauma. She assured him and Rodolphus that there shouldn't be any lasting damage, but he would be feeling weak for the next few days. She then turned to Rodolphus, Evan, and Bellatrix questioningly. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked them, and Rodolphus panicked. He did not know what to tell her, and he just lowered her eyes, knowing she would likely get them in tons of trouble. His stomach churned, but he felt Bellatrix's reassuring squeeze on his hand telling him that she would handle this.

"Madam Wolfe, I beg your pardon, but there has been a lot going on that led up to this. You wouldn't mind if we spoke to Professor Slughorn or even Professor Dumbledore about the circumstances surrounding this, would you?"

Rodolphus paled even further; he could never explain this to a professor. "Certainly," assured Madam Wolfe, and she turned away, her brow still furrowed as she left to find a professor.

"_Obliviate!"_ called Bellatrix, aiming her spell at the poor old nurse. The woman collapsed on the floor and then got up, and set to sweeping the infirmary, muttering about the amount of work she had to get through. Then Bellatrix roused Rabastan and the four Death Eaters snuck back to the dungeons.

Once Rabastan had been set to sleep, this time in his own bed, Rodolphus went to Bellatrix's room. He felt assured his brother was alright with Evan watching over him, and he sat down on Bellatrix's bed. "Thank you," he said, meaning it with every inch of his being. She smiled at him and came and sat down beside him, pulling her hair up into a bun, and slipping our of her robe, so that she was sitting in just her underwear. Rodolphus took off his robe too, the May heat filling the room, even though the dungeons were usually cool.

Rodolphus stroked Bellatrix's cheek where the bruise still remained from Malfoy's curse. He saw the scars on her arms from when she has been restrained by the other Death Eaters. He watched her face closely, and saw how her eyes had a certain look in them, a look of one who has experienced the cruciatus curse more than once.

"I feel like you save my ass all the time, and I never get to repay the favor," he confessed, looking at the floorboards.

"Rod, no. Just don't. I know what I'm getting myself into and so do you. I know that if our roles were reversed, you would do all these things for me. Come here," she said softly, and leaned in to kiss him.

Suddenly, the door was thrown open. Narcissa stared the the two on the bed, confusion etched onto her face. Bellatrix turned to face her sister shamelessly, but Rodolphus threw on his robe. "Bella, has something been going on with Malfoy?"

"Well, I'm sure he's told you about his new… promotion, since he's basically told the whole world."

"Well, yeah, I know about that, but… there was something off about him this evening."

"Cissy, I don't have time for your boyfriend troubles, I have some of my own," she said, smiling sweetly at Rodolphus. "Now, if you don't mind…"

"Bellatrix, I'm being serious. He was not listening to me all through dinner, and then he left before we had finished. He didn't even say goodbye to me, he just sulked off towards, while i'm not sure towards what, he seemed like he was heading to the infirmary. Then he came back to the common room, grabbed something, and snuck out again. I don't know what he's up to, do you think he's safe?"

"Shit," said Rodolphus, suddenly understanding. Malfoy had seen Rab in the hospital wing, and he could have figured out why he was there. He then set off to tell the Dark Lord about it, and probably to tell Voldemort that the others were going to try to cover it up. He was going to earn the Dark Lord's favor by being a snitch, and a spy. Rodolphus explained this to the Black sisters, and while Bellatrix's brow furrowed, Narcissa seemed relieved her precious boyfriend would be safe.

"I need to talk to him," insisted Rodolphus, himself not sure if he meant Malfoy or Voldemort. "Shit, shit shit, that dirty rat," he muttered as he reached over Bellatrix for his wand.

"I'm coming with you," Bellatrix said, standing and pulling a fresh robe, dark grey in color, over her head. She kept her hair tied up, and slipped on some shoes, ones that wouldn't make noise in the halls.

"Bella, you shouldn't, just leave it to me," muttered Rodolphus, already knowing she wouldn't back down from this.

"Rod, if i left it to you, we'd all be screwed. At least we have a chance together."

"I'm coming too!" shouted Narcissa, finding her resolve and drawing her wand. "I'm going for Malfoy."

"Your stupid scummy boyfriend will be just fine, now stay here, you'll only get in the way." Narcissa sat back on the bed with smoldering eyes.

Rodolphus and Bellatrix quietly left the dormitory together, walking down corridor after corridor to get to the entrance to the tunnel. They knew they would be too late to stop Malfoy; instead they were stuck bargaining with the Dark Lord to save Rabastan. About halfway to the tunnel, a boy stepped in their path, a fellow seventh year but not a Slytherin, wand drawn. "Stop!" he commanded, and they stood facing him. Rodolphus drew his want as well, but Bellatrix just stared at the boy, throwing him hateful looks. She stood in front of Rodolphus, loathing etched on her face.

"What do you want, Tonks?" Rodolphus understood finally, this was Ted Tonks, Andromeda's mudblood boyfriend. He supposed, now that he thought about it that he had seen the kid around, a sloppy looking average kid, not particularly good or bad at anything. He was large though, bigger than even Rodolphus, and he stood towering over Bellatrix with an equal look of loathing.

"I know what you are, and where you're going. i know what you do in the night, and what crimes you've committed. Andromeda tells me everything, including what happened to Rabastan tonight. I know what Malfoy did, but I didn't stop him because you all deserve whatever punishment He doles out. Especially you, you little bitch," he said, spitting on Bellatrix. Rodolphus could tell Ted was not usually like this, his confidence and confrontation prowess was not nearly that of Bellatrix's, but he was in a passion of love for Andromeda and hate of Bellatrix, and he had size ever in his favor.

"Ted, move aside or I will curse you." Ted did not move, he remained rooted to the spot, his want pointed at Bellatrix's chest. He swallowed and his adam's apple bobbed.

"Ted, this is your last warning. Let us through or you will regret ever leaving your bed. You will regret ever speaking to my sister and ruining my family."

"You are ruining your family," he said, "With this dark magic you worship. Exp-"

"_Crucio_!" shouted Bellatrix, the curse hitting right in the boy's chest. Rodolphus cast a silencing charm on the corridor they stood in so that none would hear the screams Ted had already started making. Rodolphus could only look on in grim approval as he watch Bellatrix curse the boy. He had been rude to say those things to Bellatrix, an idiot to try to stop them, and equally stupid for trying a simple disarming charm on the witch that could out duel the oldest Death Eaters. Bellatrix released the curse but then started making welts and boils appear on Ted's skin. She hexed him until she was content and he was begging for mercy, and she stood over him, her eyes blazing.

"Don't tell anyone about what happened tonight. If you do, I will not hesitate to kill you. Do not ever speak to my sister again or I shall curse you both for as long as it takes for you to get my message. Do not ever, ever try to hurt me or stop me again, because once again, I will take your life. Do you understand me?"

Ted nodded his head, pathetically trembling and sobbing. Bellatrix strode past him determinedly, and Rodolphus followed, giving him one last kick in the ribs for good measure.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

**Reviews make my day! **

Rodolphus had never felt such terror as he did as he walked to Voldemort's dilapidated house that night. His sense of foreboding was immense; already he could feel his Dark Mark tingling with his master's displeasure. He hurried along the path with Bellatrix behind him, ushering him along. He didn't think he would have been able to convince himself to go if she wasn't there, supporting him.

At last they arrived in Hogsmeade, and apparated to the graveyard near His house. They walked down the path and over the gravel to the large gates. Malfoy opened them for the two newcomers, and led them into the house, a grim, sadistic smile plastered onto his face. They went down into the basement, and saw the Dark Lord brooding over something, facing away from them. He turned, and his eyes were serpentine, his face paler than it was before. His hair was falling out, and there was a green tinge to his skin. Rodolphus then realized how long it had been since he had seen his master… since that night his mother….

Voldemort looked much more evil now, deeper into his delightful dark magic, much more assured of his power and longevity. "Evening," he said to Bellatrix and Rodolphus as means of greeting.

"My Lord," they said simultaneously, bowing before him. They both fell into a kneeling position with Malfoy standing behind them, posing like he was presenting his master with the wrongdoers.

"That's enough, Lucius, you may have a seat." Bellatrix grinned slightly at Voldemot's dismissal of Malfoy, and the pasty blonde boy sat on the other side of the chamber in a small chair.

"Now, Lucius has been telling me some interesting tales, tales of some of my followers who would rather not be involved in the cause anymore. But of course you all know that just isn't a possibility…"

"My Lord," said Rodolphus, feeling much like Ted Tonks must have a few minutes ago, "I can't be more sorry for the actions of my brother. I can assure you he acted alone, that no one else had doubts about the cause, but he was just overwhelmed with the death of our mother. He will come around as soon as he wakes and realize this is the right way for him."

"Well, Lestrange, as perfect as that sounds, that is not how we learn, now is it? If your brother tries to defy me with no punishment, how will he ever learn not to do it again. And of course, there is one way he will never do it again…"

"No!" This time is was Bellatrix who spoke, "Please, my Lord, do not kill him! He is our dear friend and he is a good wizard!"

"Ah, my Bella," said Voldemort, stepping forward for the first time. "Do you want me to listen to your wishes?" He caressed her cheek where the blue tinge still appeared. She winced slightly.

"Yes, my Lord, more than anything."

"Well, if that is the case, than you must do something for me. I shall spare Lestrange his life, if you help me."

"Of course, my Lord."

"I need the two of you do go do something for me, a bit of an errand, and if you succeed, all will be forgiven."

"Tell me what you desire, my Lord," said Rodolphus, eager to aid his brother and make up for the damage he felt a lot of the blame for.

"You two are to apparate to Knockturn Alley and walk to the Sleepy Goblin Pub. Once there, you are to seek out a man named Karkaroff. Once you find him, you are to convince him to come see me, to come follow me. Promise him glory and power. But you are also to take something from him, an egg, and you are to deliver this to me without his knowledge. Is that clear?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Then go!" They scurried from the room, only to hear Voldemort shifting. "Now, as for you Malfoy… since no one likes a snitch…"

Bellatrix and Rodolphus shared a grim smile, and ran back outside to apparate to Knockturn Alley. They made their way down the dark cobblestone street and it twisted and turned in the pouring rain. They drew their cloaks on tightly, and pulled the hoods over their heads. Bellatrix's shoes were slipping and sliding over the slick stones, but she jinxed them to stay dry and maintain traction. They searched and searched for the pub, neither of them having been to it before, and finally found it at the end of a grim side alley. They entered and each ordered a fire whiskey, both to look like they were coming in for pleasure and not business, and to warm themselves up.

Rodolphus heard the name Karkaroff spoken, and looked at the man in question. He was finely dressed in lavish robes, and there was an air of importance to him. His hair and beard were already tinged gray, though he looked not much older than his late twenties or early thirties. Rodolphus stepped towards him, eager to get this over with, but Bellatrix stopped him. She put a finger to her lips and held him back. Then she drew out her wand. "_Accio Egg!_" she whispered, and unseen to anyone but themselves, a large egg lept from Karkaroff's bag into her hand. She quickly put a shrinking spell of it, and threw it into her cloak. She shared a look with Rodolphus saying, "At least this part of the mission was easy enough."

They then approached the table, hoods still up, and Rodolphus asked Karkaroff for a word. He stared back at them amusedly and then finally followed them to a small back corner table. He leaned back and put his hands behind his head, lazily waiting for them to speak.

"We have come to recruit you," began Rodolphus, "To follow our master, a rising power on the Dark Side. He can offer you glory and power beyond compare, once the Dark Side takes over, once we win the war."

"Ahh, I have heard rumor of this war for a long time back at Durmstrang," said Karkaroff, speaking with a heavy accent. "I see not why I need your master though, I have a good teaching position starting there in the fall."

"I'm sure you can manage both the demands of teaching and following The Dark Lord. He is rather kind in that regard."

"I can see, what are you two, boys of Slytherin House at Hogwarts? How old are you?" he asked, chuckling a bit.

"Boy and girl," said Bellatrix in a low, powerful voice. "We are 17. Yet we can serve our master well, we are powerful duelists and know quite a bit of Dark Magic. Please come with us to meet him."

"Tell me the name of your master," he said, "And then I shall consider it."

"Lord Voldemort, sir, is his name. What is that symbol?" asked Bellatrix, noticing a curious tattoo on his wrist. It was a triangle, with a circle inside it and a straight line through that.

"That is my greatest secret," he said, hastily putting his sleeve back in place. "Alright, let us go, we shall meet this fellow."

They walked out of the pub and into the street, holding arms to perform a side-along apparation, taking Karkaroff to Voldemort's home.

In the middle of the apparation, however, Karkaroff pulled them in a different direction, and Bellatrix and Rodolphus let him have his way, not wanting to risk getting splinched. They landed in a castle somewhere in eastern Europe, from the look of the architecture. It seemed that it was long since abandoned, however, and Karkaroff led them to a large ballroom.

"It seems," he said menacingly, "That you have something of mine. Now, you are to give it back before there is trouble."

"We are not giving it back," said Bellatrix, her hood still on and her wand drawn.

"Hmmm… I have an idea then. How about we duel for it? If you win, I will come with you to your master and you can have my egg, and if you lose, I will take it back and might or might not let you run home to your master. If I win, however, you are to never come find me again."

"Alright, fair enough," said Rodolphus, taking his cloak off and backing up with his wand drawn.

"And your partner?" he asked, considering Bellatrix who backed up off to the side. Now she backed up to where Rodolphus was and drew her wand with him, forever protecting her identity. Faster than light, however, Karkaroff threw a spall at her that cast her cloak off. She stood before him in her charcoal robe, her hair messily half put up and half falling around her face. Her chest was heaving at being surprised like that, and now she seemed determines to best him.

She stepped forward and began to duel Karkaroff, but was forced to take up the defensive and put up a shield charm almost immediately. He fired spell after spell at her, almost like a chant or prayer, and they were dark spells even Rodolphus was hesitant to try. There were many he had never even heard before. Soon enough, he was locked in combat as well, fighting against the skilled wizard. After a few minutes the tide of the duel shift, and both Bellatrix and Rodolphus were able to get a few spells on target. Great lashes had been cut into Rodolphus's arms though, and Bellatrix had taken a strong curse into her chest, making her movements slower and her gait unsteady.

Finally, the two Death Eaters were able to finish Karkaroff off, putting him in a leg lock and cursing him until he told them they had won. He solemnly accepted that they were skilled, and he kept his word, though he drew his hood up and kept his wand ready as they apparated to Voldemort.

It seemed Rodolphus and Bellatrix sat in Voldemort's antechamber for hours while he privately talked to Karkaroff. The clock struck two in the morning and Rodolphus woke up, realizing he had dozed off wile leaning on Bellatrix. She was vigilant as ever, though she stifled a yawn when Rodolphus looked up. "Can't we go back to the castle?" he asked her, wondering why they were still there.

"No, we still have to deliver the egg. And we must follow his instructions, you know, for Rab." She squeezed his hand encouragingly, and he turned and kissed her languidly.

"Well, well, well," the cold voice of Voldemort shocked them and they pulled apart. Bellatrix slipped Rodolphus the egg and he stood up and gave it to Voldemort. There was no sign of Karkaroff, and Rodolphus guess her had left through the back of the house.

"Ah, yes, the precious egg." He enlarged it and levitated it in the air. "Thisss iss most…. precioussss."

"What is it, if you don't mind my asking, my lord?" Rodolphus was curious, and felt a little bold from his kiss with Bellatrix.

"You shall see in due time, if you are… pattttient," Voldemort chuckled. Then he glared at Rodolphus as though angry at him. Rodolphus knew he had completed his task, but now he worried. Would Voldemort back out on his deal?

"You have done fine, Lestrange, and I will not harm your brother for his betrayal, so long as he never fails me again. Go back to the castle and tell him of my forgiveness."

Rodolphus turned to leave, and Bellatrix turned with him, after bowing to Voldemort, but he placed a pale hand on her shoulder. Rodolphus saw her shiver.

"Not… you, my Bella," he said, pulling her back towards him. He slipped off her cloak and it fell to the floor, pooling at her feet. She looked nervous, but she couldn't hide the overt sexiness that seemed to be an inherent quality of hers. Even Rodolphus drew in a sharp breath. He stepped forward, claiming her as his own, intent on taking her back to the castle where she was his.

"Not tonight, Lestrange. Tonight she is mine, unless you want to put your brother on my bad side again?"

"Let her come home with me," said Rodolphus, each work escaping his mouth through gritted teeth.

"No," said Bellatrix. "It must be this way. For Rabastan. I… I'll see you in the morning. Now go! Leave!" Rodolphus felt tears stinging his eyes, tears he refused to let fall. He didn't know if they were because she rebuked him, because of her sacrifice, or because he was powerless to help her. He slowly left the house and walked into the cold rain, but he sat outside the gates. He was not leaving without her.

Rodolphus must have dozed off, because he woke up drenched to the sun coming up over the horizon. The rain had stopped, however, and he cast a spell to dry himself. He relieved himself and washed his face and hands near the cemetery, and then walked back to the gravel path. Bellatrix walked out of the house, her robe missing, her cloak around her, held by her hand. He could see glimpse of her bra and panties peeking through. Her hair was disheveled and her expression unreadable. Rodolphus put his arm around her and led her back to the castle.

"You should have gone back last night," she said, once they were safely in the tunnel on their way back.

"I couldn't leave you completely. it was bad enough leaving you with him that night. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm actually not feeling great from Karkaroff's curse, but i'm fine from Him. Let's just not talk about it though, alright?"

"Alright," said Rodolphus, somewhat relieved he wouldn't have to know what Voldemort did to her. "I'm still feeling pretty rough from that duel too, I hope it goes away."

They kept a steady conversation back to Hogwarts, and both collapsed on Rodolphus's bed once they got back. When they awoke, it was dark again, and the clock struck four in the morning.

Rodolphus closed his eyes, and must have fallen asleep again, for when he arose, he saw Bellatrix deep into a textbook about potions. It dawned on him that it was nearly time for exams, and with everything happening with Rab and the Dark Lord, he hadn't studied. In fact, he'd missed a substantial amount of classes over the past few weeks, and he knew Bellatrix had done the same. Although she was brilliant, he could tell her heart wasn't in her Hogwarts education anymore. She wanted something more, something darker.

She closed the book when she noticed he was awake, and nuzzled into his shoulder. Rodolphus put one of his large arms around her, claiming her as his own. She sighed and closed her eyes, and he felt her breathing slow down as her chest pressed against his. Suddenly, the dormitory door opened, and Professor Slughorn came striding in. Bellatrix and Rodolphus were both stripped down to nothing but their underwear, and were momentarily stunned by his sudden appearance.

Bellatrix, not having much choice, stood up and walked across the room, putting on one of Rodolphus's robes which was entirely too big for her, and tossing another to Rodolphus. Then she sat back down on the bed, in front of Rodolphus and watched the Head of Slytherin House attentively. Rodolphus, feeling suddenly unafraid of the potions master, wrapped his arms around Bellatrix once again and stared defiantly at the man.

"Merlin's beard!" began Slughorn, "I came here to find you, Rodolphus and this… this is going on behind closed doors! You'll be bloody lucky if the headmaster doesn't hear about this! Now then, why I came, why I came… ah, yes. You, (and might I add, Miss Black, you as well), have been written up in several of your classes for tardiness or absence, and your quality of work, both of you, has severely diminished. You of course are doing well enough to pass this last semester, but you are both extraordinary students who refuse to apply yourselves."

Rodolphus seriously doubted anyone would call him an extraordinary student, but he kept his mouth shut. Both him and Bellatrix simply stared at the Professor until he was forced to open his mouth once again.

"Look, I am not here to get you in trouble…. in fact, I will not even report how I just found you two to anyone, I just want to warn you. Some Professors are hearing rumors that you and some of your mates are messing with some dark magic… of course, OF COURSE, this is merely gossip and i'm sure it is by no means accurate, but the murmurs are growing. I warn you severely against any of that nonsense. Each day, the world turns darker and signs of war are coming over the horizon. Don't get mixed up in that, you have your whole lives ahead of you. You can do great things."

Once again, Bellatrix and Rodolphus just stared at him, not saying a word. Bellatrix's robe sleeve slipped off her shoulder, and Slughorn looked nervously at the exposed flesh. "If I see any of this behavior again, I will not fail to report it. As it stands, I am taking 15 points from Slytherin for this. And you best be attending your classes more often and improving your work, lest it come back to haunt you. That is all…"

With a last lingering look of worry, Slughorn quit the room.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

**I know you're reading it, leave me something nice (:**

The next week found Rodolphus sitting through exams he knew he was just barely passing. Any material covered in the last month or two he knew he was clueless at. Bellatrix sat two seats in front of him in the column of desks to his left, and he saw her head down on the desk. He figured she had either breezed through the exam or had given up- either seemed likely. When the exams were finally collected, Rodolphus let out a sigh of relief. He only had one exam left- transfiguration, and then he would be free for the summer… well for the rest of his life.

He ate lunch outside with Rabastan and Evan Rosier, and he was in a pretty good mood. A week after the duel with Karkaroff, he was still feeling a little off from the remains of the curse, but it was wearing off. Rabastan seemed to be recovering well and in a bit of a better mood, although he had grown quieter and more brooding. Bellatrix had told Rodolphus she was going to take a nap during lunch and so they parted ways, and Rodolphus was glad he chose the sunshine. He spotted Narcissa Black and Lucuius Malfoy across the lawn. Quietly, he transfigured Malfoy's rucksack into a hedgehog. It was the one transfiguration he could always seem to do well. Rosier laughed in amusement and Lucius let out a girly shout as he was pricked by his rucksack. Narcissa laughed at his expense.

Lusius turned around, his pale face glaring at Rodolphus, Evan, and Rabastan. "So," said Evan, mostly to ignore Malfoy, "What are you going to do when we get out for the summer?"

Rodolphus shrugged his shoulders before answering. "Well, I don't think my father is that eager to have us back home, so I was probably going to rent a room at-"

"Nonsense!" said Evan, "Stay with my family over the summer! Bellatrix is coming, and Narcissa was going to, but she's going to stupid Malfoy's manor instead, and well, the invitation wasn't exactly extended to Andromeda. But the point is, we have lots of space, and it's lots of fun, it's in the country, kind of near Glasgow and there's lots of room for Quidditch and anything else. And, maybe best of all, my parents are vacationing for a lot of the summer, so we have it mostly to ourselves!"

"Alright," said Rodolphus, beaming. "I'm in. Rab?"

"That sounds awesome!"

The boys spent the rest of the lunch break discussing their summer plans, then went back into the castle to finish their exams.

The transfiguration exam was two parts, a written portion on theory, and a physical portion where the students were asked to perform various transfigurations. Transfiguration was probably Rodolphus's weakest subject, so he was dreading it, but the written portion wasn't so bad. Rodolphus couldn't spot Bellatrix in the Great Hall, and when they were marched to a classroom for the second part, he was sure she wasn't among them. He caught Evan's eye, and confined what he had suspected.

After he had completed all of his transfigurations, albeit poorly, Rodolphus quickly left the classroom to hunt down Bellatrix. He first tried the library since it was the closest, and then ventured down into the dungeons to where he suspected she was, in her bed. She had the covers pulled up over her head, and she was curled into a small ball when Rodolphus discovered her. They were alone in the dormitory, and dinner was going on, so Rodolphus was assured some privacy. "Hey," he said concernedly, sitting on the edge of her bed and drawing back the blanket so that he could see her face.

"Hey," she said back, her eyes still closed. Rodolphus moved some hair off her face with his fingers, and she shivered. Her voice was rough, and she looked thinner than she had the night they went to Karkaroff.

"What's going on? Are you alright?" he asked her, wondering if this was just illness or if this was Karkaroff or Voldemort's doing.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just came down with something. How was transfiguration?"

"Bella, you should go see Madam Wolfe, you look pretty sick. And it was alright, I think I passed."

"That's good. I don't want to see the nurse, I'm not that sick. And sorry I missed the exam, I would just rather have the zero than put in the effort at this point. I'm glad we only have two days before we leave."

Rodolphus thought about the end of his Hogwart's days, and was surprised to find himself a little disappointed that they were ending. He layed down on the bed besides Bellatrix, and held her tightly against him.

"We should get married," he mumbled. Bellatrix turned around and faced him. "Why should we do that?" she asked.

"Because we're both pure-bloods, and it would be a good marriage for our families. Because I really love you, Bellatrix, and I hope you feel the same way about me. Because I want you to be mine, and to show Voldemort you belong to me. Because you're one of my best friends, and I want to be with you, always."

"Alright, we should. You should write my father, though, and tell him the news, you know, to get his permission and all. And you'll have to get a ring. And… and Rodolphus?"

"Yeah?"

Bellatrix leaned forward and kissed him, and the kiss grew deeper. Rodolphus rolled on top of Bellatrix to take control, and pressed his body against hers. He took off his robe and the shirt and pants he was wearing under it, and Bellatrix slipped out of her night dress. She smiled up at him, and he took it as an invitation.

Two hours later, Rodolphus was asleep with Bellatrix in his arms. He had received a few looks from the girls who slept in that room, but luckily they were all older students and didn't say a word. It didn't hurt that most were a little afraid of Bellatrix as well. Suddenly, Rodolphus sat up with a start. His forearm was burning, searing, and it took everything he had not to cry out. Bellatrix had felt it too, for she thrashed around in the bed, holding her arm. As soon as it had started, it stopped. Bellatrix and Rodolphus got out of bed, and went down to the common room, still half asleep. Rodolphus threw his pants back on, and Bellatrix put on a night gown.

The common room began to fill with death eaters, in various states of undress, who had felt the pain. "Didn't feel like a summons," someone muttered.

"No, it was more like a… something else," said Crabbe.

"Look!" called Macnair, and they all quickly gathered around the windows. A huge Dark Mark was floating in the sky, cloudy yet bright, and there was something on the lawn. Dumbledore was there, with McGonnagal and Slughorn, and all three were bent over something. Slughorn nervously glanced up at the sky, and then down again. The Sytherin group settled into chairs and couches in the common room, but kept an eye on the window. Suddenly, the door opened, and Rodolphus realized he had fallen asleep. He looked around to see the other death eaters waking up as well.

Professor Dumbledore himself was standing in the doorway, and he looked grim. He summoned all of the Slytherins, and they gathered in the common room, confused, but recognizing the grave tone in the air.

"Tonight," began Dumbledore, "Two of our muggle born students were seriously harmed, and left for dead on the front lawn. We have several witnesses watching the culprit escape, and we are certain it was not a student. Because of this new danger, students are to pack up immediately and prepare to leave Hogwarts tomorrow morning."

Some of the younger students whispered fearfully, and some of the older students were happy for the early release. "Miss Black, if I may have a word…" Dumbledore summoned Bellatrix to the hall, and she quickly grabbed a blanked to wrap around herself, scantily clad in a nightgown. Rodolphus knew she was covering her dark mark. He peered out at them through a crack in the door.

"Miss Black, you missed your final exam today, and your grades have slipped this final semester. I understand you have enough credit to graduate, however, I am not pleased with this lack of effort. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Professor," said Bellatrix, her voice hoarse, "I am sorry about the exam, I just have not been feeling good these last few days. I know my effort has been lacking a little bit lately, and I've just been so distracted with family problems, and trying to figure out my career after i leave."

"Well, do see Madam Wolfe about your illness, you do seem quite ill. I am dearly sorry for your family problems, I hope that you are not taking them out too harshly on young Andromeda? And ahh yes, your career. My offer to get you a ministry job still stands, and I would be glad to assist you in any way on any other career you had in mind. You could be a great auror, or a teacher, or most anything. What kind of career did you have in mind?"

Bellatrix opened her mouth and slowly shut it again, taking a step forward and grabbing a hold of the wall to steady herself. She shut her eyes and seemed ready to collapse. Dumbledore sprung into action deploying a young Slytherin to get Madam Wolfe. He raised his wand and performed a charm, and a faint purple mist came off of Bellatrix's body. He made a curious noise, and then yelled what sounded like a curse at her. This time, she did fall to the ground, and lay still. Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Evan Rosier came to her side. Curiously, Dumbledore performed the same curse on each of the three boys as well. Rodolphus fell hard against the wall. For a moment, his mind was perfectly blank. Then he saw horrible images, dementors and werewolves and vampires, and felt only darns and pain. Slowly, the image faded into white.

He then slowly came back into consciousness and found himself in the hospital wing. Evan caught his eye and pointed at Dumbledore, who snoozed in a rocking chair in the corner, his knitting on his lap. Rabastan and Bellatrix were asleep in beds next to Rodolphus and Evan. Daylight streamed in through the windows, and Rodolphus tried to get out of bed, only to find he was bound to it.

"Breakfast?" Rodolphus was shocked to see Dumbledore awake and standing beside him, along with several house elves holding breakfast trays. Rodolphus's had a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast, while a house elf woke Bellatrix and served her porridge and tea and fruit. As the four Slytherins sat eating, Dumbledore stood among them.

"Last night," he began, sighing, "I performed a countercurse on each of you. It finds the remnants of dark magic lurking in your bodies, and it removes them. You all had a tremendous… a concerning amount of dark magic within you. That is why it so weakened you to have it removed. If I were to perform that spell on a baby, it wouldn't even be aware the spell took place. The same thing with nearly every student and professor in this school. I don't know specifically what you have been exposed to, the spell does not revel that, but it's effects were telling."

All four of them had stopped eating, staring intently at the headmaster.

"I am not asking you to explain yourselves. You still have time to catch the train home, and i shall not stop you from leaving. But I want you to know, you must be cautious what you become involved in. There is always room for more on the light side, but the dark side is not kind to its followers. There is a war coming, of that I am sure, though it might take decades to come to its fullness. Oh, these are grave times. The decision, of course is yours, and I will leave you to return to your dormitories.

"One more thing! ah, I nearly forgot. I wanted to mention to all of you, that if you find yourselves… stuck… on the dark side, please do not hesitate to come to me for help. I can offer you protection. Please to not feel committed to a cause you do not support because it had been branded into you. Now go, off with you, before I do find something to punish you for!"

The four death eaters went back to their dormitories, hurrying along the long corridors. Rodolphus felt uneasy, he was sure Dumbledore knew what was going on. He could tell Rab had wanted to tell Dumbledore what was going on, but wasn't given much of a chance. As he stuffed all his possessions into his trunk, Rodolphus took one last long look at his room, nearly positive he would never see it again.

The train ride was mostly uneventful, and Rodolphus greeted Mr. and Mrs. Rosier on the platform. He excused himself for a moment, and then drew himself up to his full height and asked Bellatrix's father for a word. Two minutes later, he emerged from behind a partition, Cygnus Black's hand clapping his shoulder. He was beaming.

Evan, Mr. and Mrs Rosier, Bellatrix, Rabastan and Rodolphus all apparated (or side-along apparated) to the Rosier's country home. It was a large, tall house, filled with many rooms. It was sort of messy, in a homely way, with overgrown plants surrounding it all, and odd pieces of furniture decorating the rooms. It was much different than the Black's stately manor of Rodolphus's childhood home, and he liked its lived-in feel. Evan's room was large and messy, filled with clothes, Quidditch knickknacks, and his furniture.

Rosier showed Rabastan, Rodolphus and Bellatrix to their rooms while his mother prepared dinner. His father went off to visit some family, but promised to be back shortly. Evan's parents were thrilled to have hi back from school, and loved having guests. The students were so happy to be done with school, except for Rabastan, who still had a year left.

When they changed and came down to dinner, which was eaten at picnic-style tables in the yard, Mr. Rosier had returned. He explained to Mrs. Rosier that he had just gone to visit his brother, since he had finally returned from his business trip. Evan caught Rodolphus eye upon hearing this. When his parents had gone inside to fetch coffee and pie, Evan leaned in and told his friends, "My uncle, Elladir Rosier, is a death eater. He just got back from this really long trip, about a year, doing something for Voldemort in Egypt. But shh… my parents don't know."

"Elladir…. a death eater?" Bellatrix looked confused, "There's no way."

"Way," insisted Evan. Bellatrix turned to Rodolphus and explained that Elladir was her mother's brother as well as the brother of Evan's father.

"Weird." They spent the night discussing their summer with Evan's parents, who were set to leave the next day for Paris, and then they went to bed early, tired from their long day, and relieved to be done with Hogwarts.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

**kind of a boring filler, but still tell me what you think!**

In the middle of the night, a couple weeks into the summer, Rodolphus awoke, and a hand clamped down on his mouth to muffle his shout of surprise. His eyes refused to adjust to the darkness surrounding him. He was forced to quickly dress and dragged into the hallway. His heart was racing, and he was so confused. He tried to struggle free to get to Rabastan and Bellatrix. Once he got downstairs, he was relieved to find them, and Evan, together and unharmed. They had been awoken by four masked Death Eaters, and Rodolphus was nearly sure they were Dolohov, Nott, Yaxley and… Karkaroff?

He followed them into the yard, filled with the noises of insects of the night, and held on to Dolohov's arm as he apparated to a deserted-looking mansion. After climbing up a steep hill to the entrance, Nott tapped in certain parts of the door and it granted them passage. A large, realistic snake-head knocker sat unmoving on the door. The floors creaked and were dusty, and the house had a feeling of death within it. A mildewy scent peppered the air, and Rodolphus coughed as dust found its way to the back of his throat. Led to a back room, the four were seated at a long table with over 50 people at it, Voldemort sitting at the end. It seemed that almost every death eater ever was there, and Voldemort quickly called attention. Rabastan twitched uncomfortably in his seat, and Rodolphus saw Bellatrix put a reassuring hand over his.

"I call you here to present to you our new base of operations." Voldemort spoke in a strange way, giving equal weight to each word he spoke. "This is the house in which I murdered my own father, and the house in which dark, devious deeds were performed before some of you were even born. This is the Riddle Mansion. Our move is in celebration of a little scandal I have performed, sneaking onto the Hogwarts grounds and off again, maiming two muggle-born ssstudentsss. This little act frightened poor old Dumbledore to no end, and of course has put the ministry on edge. This is not the time to act, not yet. We need to put the entire magical and muggle world into a terror before we begin our great war.

"Oh, they will try to oppose us, but we shall rule them all. In two years, I predict, we shall begin our true mission, to create a devastating war in which all shall bow to us and our mission."

Voldemort talked strategy for the next hour or so, and then had two servants, under the imperious curse no doubt, provide an evening meal. He then dismissed them, but called Bellatrix back with him for a moment, catching Rodolphus's eye and smiling wickedly. Rodolphus waited with Evan and Rabastan in the front hallway, and in less than five minutes, Bellatrix came back. She looked… happy. She took her time leaving, and then glanced back at the house a few times on her way out, grinning. It made Rodolphus uneasy. He put his arm around her and held her against him as they apparated home.

When he had her alone, while Rab and Evan sat outside with the fire, Rodolphus presented the ring he bought to Bellatrix. He had picked it up a week ago, but felt that now was the time to give it to her. It was a simple gold band with an onyx stone in the center, and diamonds on either side. She hugged and kissed him and showed the ring to Evan and Rabastan, who congratulated her and patted Rodolphus on the back. Evan got out a bottle of fire whiskey and some other drinks to celebrate, and after they were more drunk than they ever had been, Evan declared it was time for bed. They had been singing wizarding drinking songs for the last hour.

Rodolphus pulled Bellatrix to his room and closed the door behind them.

The next morning, Rodolphus could not remember what had happened after he gave Bellatrix the ring. She was lying half on top of him, naked but for the sheet that covered them, and he realized he was naked as well. Suddenly, a terrible nausea ripped through his system, and he raced down the hall to throw up in the toilet. He brushed his teeth and returned to bed where he found Bellatrix sitting up, her sheet wrapped around her. She looked sleepy and confused, and very pale in the morning light. Her hair was a dark, curly mess, and her dark eyes looked at his with a mischievous expression.

The summer passed quickly, and before Rodolphus knew it it was August. Voldemort had taken up more and more of their time as of late, but the solitude and adventure of the Rosier's house distracted them. The evening of August 4th found Rodolphus and Rabastan getting into their dress robes. They were going with Bellatrix and Evan to their cousin's home for a party, and everyone was expected to be in formal attire. This would be the first time Rodolphus met the whole Black/Rosier clan, and he wasn't sure what to expect.

Bellatrix came into Rodolphus's room wearing a stunning plum satin dress. She was wearing makeup, which she did surprisingly rarely, and was devoid of jewelry besides Rodolphus's ring and a mysterious new necklace. Rodolphus didn't get a chance to get a good look at it though because after twirling in front of him, she leaned in and kissed him. She seemed to be in a strangely good mood, although Rodolphus was concerned; she seemed awfully distracted these past few weeks.

Rodolphus kissed her back, ever in awe of her beauty. They gathered downstairs and apparated to 12 Grimmauld Place, where the party was to take place. The entryway was cramped, but quickly dispersed into a large dining room where many witches and wizards, some familiar and some unknown, stood mingling. Some of the older witches gathered downstairs in the kitchen, and the children were running all over the house.

There was a punch bowl filled with a sickly green drink, and small tables set up with food on them. It seemed like a party the Bloody Baron night enjoy, and Rodolphus fond himself smiling at the memory of the creepy Slytherin ghost. They made their way deeper into the room until Bellatrix found her parents. "Father, mother, hello," she said sweetly.

"Hello, Bella," said her father, "You look especially lovely tonight. Hello, Rodolphus,"

"Hello, sir, it is nice to see you. Hello, Mrs. Black."

"Please, call me Druella, dear. You seem like a sweet, pureblood, Slytherin boy, perfect for my daughter. I looked up your family and the bloodlines are most respectable. I look forward to the wedding."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Go on then, the lot of you, (hello, Evan), go enjoy yourselves and stop standing around here."

Rodolphus found that a lot of his mates were either family or friends of the Blacks, and before long he found Crabbe, Goyle, MacNair, and… Malfoy.

"What are you doing here?" sneered Malfoy.

"I came with Bella, I'm sorry to ruin your night, Lucius," He shared a laugh with his friends, and then went across the room to grab some food. When Rodolphus went back up to the drawing room, he saw Bellatrix talking with a young boy.

"Bella, Bella, I opened my door with magic today! And Sirius got a wand last week, and he let me use it. I can make it light up. Father says I can have a real broomstick soon too!"

Bellatrix smiled sweetly at the little boy who was tugging on her skirts, admiring her. "Well Reg, I reckon you're going to be a brilliant wizard in no time."

"And I can't wait to go to Hogwarts. Sirius gets to go soon, but I have to wait forever!"

"Where is your brother?" asked Bellatrix, and the little boy pointed to a room upstairs.

Bellatrix went up the stairs, and Rodolphus followed behind, curious.

Bellatrix entered a drawing room, and walked over to two little boys in the corner. "Sirius, let me see!" whined a smaller, fatter boy, with a rat-like appearance.

"Peter, no! It's mine." Peter turned around and caught sight of Bellatrix, and dashed out of the room. Even Sirius looked a little intimidated, but he hid it behind a cool expression.

"Hey, Bella," he said, his voice still high like a young child's. "What do you want?"

"I want to know if you still have those stupid Gryffindor badges in your room, and if you still think that this family is rotten!"

"As a matter of fact, I traded those badges for a Gryffindor banner, and this family is rotten, it's a fact. The lot of you are all following that evil guy, and those who aren't allow it and sit around studying bloodlines all day. It's disgusting."

"Sirius, you better behave, or being in this family will be really hard. Aunt Walburga isn't going to like this."

"I don't care what anyone thinks. I'm leaving as soon as I can."

Bellatrix groaned in frustration and left the boy to play with his new wand. Rodolphus caught up to her and put his arm around her. "Who's that?" he asked.

"That's my cousin Sirius, he lives here, and that's his brother Regulus. That's their mother, Walburga, and their father, Orion."

"Right, how many people here are you not related to?"

"Not many. You're probably related to most of them yourself." She smirked and grabbed a glass of champagne.

"Bell, where'd you get that necklace, and what is it?"

"This… this is a bird skull. Our master gave it to me as a token of his appreciation for my services to him and his cause."

"Beautiful," said Rodolphus, a little disgusted at the silver charm.

"Bella… how nice to see you," a slick wizard came up to Bellatrix and enveloped her in a strong hug. He let her go and held her at arms-length, studying her, and apparently liking what he saw.

"Bartemius, it's been a while," she said, slinking out of the grasp of the older wizard. Rodolphus now recognized him as Barty Crouch, who had left Hogwarts a few years prior. "What's been going on with you?" Bellatrix asked, grabbing a glass of champagne off of a tray of a passing house-elf.

"Well, my wife is pregnant! We're about to have out first. I don't know if I can handle more than one, though, see with my busy schedule at the ministry." Rodolphus was a little displeased by Crouch's behavior now that he learned he had a wife, and felt that it was only necessary to announce his engagement to Bellatrix.

Their conversation was broken up, however, as several things happened at once. Sirius came whizzing by on a broomstick, followed by a red-haired older wizard on foot. The flames in the drawing room furnace glowed green and the other lights in the room dimmed. Screams of terror echoed from outside.

Suddenly, there was a head in the flames, and Rodolphus recognized it immediately as the ugly face of Voldemort. "As a symbol thanks for your mission and your patronage to me, I have taken the liberty of showing the neighbors what our cause means." He disappeared as Sirius fell off his broom, and looked on the verge of tears.

"Momma, wook!" yelled a small boy no older than two, gazing out the windows of the dining room. The guests quickly gathered in the front room and peered out the window, some of the adult wizards running into the street.

There were about six muggles on the lawn and in the street, bearing no signs of life. The women were particularly beat up, and the men looked like they never stood a chance, probably killed in a swift jet of green light. Rodolphus felt bile rise in his throat as he saw that one of the muggles was no more than a girl of thirteen or fourteen. Before their eyes, their bodies seemed to dematerialize, evaporating any evidence and with it any suspects that the murders even occurred.

Rodolphus could hear an old homeless man from down the block muttering, "But I saw it, they was killed! It was magic! I saw'r it!"


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

_**a/n: So it's been forever, but I'm hoping to keep it up again. I hope you like it, and reviews would be great!**_

As the initial excitement of the beginning of the summer wore off, Rodolphus began feeling panicked and hopeless. Without the rigor and schedule his Hogwart's years provided, he found himself growing anxious with the endless hours of doing nothing.

Well, nothing was a bad way to put it. He was still doing many tasks, but he could not see where they were going to be useful. When he was in his first years, he dreamed of owning a shop, or maybe an inn, or maybe even working in one of the more prestigious positions in the Ministry. As he grew older, he realized he didn't have these options, just the illusion of them. The students who stayed away from Voldemort could pursue these careers, but he was limited to serving the Dark Lord. At first he envied them, but then he realized that if Voldemort's plans were realized, these students would be annihilated.

Throughout the day, Rodolphus would study dark magic. Dumbledore's spell had weakened him, and he needed to hone his skills, as well as learn more. Besides wandwork, he would read old texts, work on his understanding of magical creatures and magical wars, and study maps. He wanted to be prepared for the tasks he was assigned. He didn't want to die.

Evan and Bellatrix seemed to be adjusting better. Even Rabastan seemed pretty relaxed, although he was keeping up with his summer work for his last year at Hogwarts. Bellatrix spent long hours locked up in the bedroom she claimed as her own. She still came to Rodolphus's bed at night, but sometimes he awoke to her having nightmares, or her sitting up and staring out the window. She also took long trips away from the home. She never told anyone where she was going, but Rodolphus had an inkling of where she probably was.

Sometimes he peered into her room through the door which was left ajar, and found her pouring over books and mumbling to herself. On one of these occasions he entered and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him. She immediately flinched and jerked away, before seeming to realize where she was and relaxing again.

On one particularly ominous day in the beginning of July, the four residents of the Rosier mansion were summoned to the Riddle house. Its creaky floors and haunting look of faded wealth made him shudder. He listened closely above the shuffling of the entering death eaters, and heard a faint scratching from underneath the floor. He tried to get to Bellatrix, just to be with her, but she was too far ahead.

Once they were settled in at the large table, which had been dragged into a ballroom type room, Voldemort took center stage.

"Rodolphus," said the Dark Lord, "congratulations on your engagement." He sneered, grinning sarcastically, and he ran one ragged yellow fingernail gently down the side of Bellatrix's face. Even through her hero-worship exterior, Bellatrix squirmed under Voldemort's invading touch. As Voldemort moved on to other topics, Rodolphus became distracted. The scratching noise was becoming more and more urgent, and snarls and panting could be heard as well. Rodolphus caught Evan's eye and they both exchanged confused expressions.

Finally, Voldemort spoke on the topic that was distressing the boys. "I'm sure you can all hear the guest who is currently residing in my basement. I need someone to fetch him, someone to invite him up to… talk with us. Volunteers?" he challenged. Not one death eater moved.

"Well then, I guess we will just have to choose." His bloodshot eyes scanned the room, and finally settled near the back. "Lucius, you wouldn't mind doing the honors would you? I'd hate to make this experience… unpleasant for you…"

Trapped between Voldemort's threat of torture and the threat of the creature in the basement, Lucius went with the latter choice. He slowly stood and crept toward the basement door. Those seated closest, Bellatrix, Dolohov, and Goyle, strained their necks for a glimpse of what Malfoy was up against.

They heard him descend the stairs, and at first they heard his muffled voice. It was suddenly cut off by an angry snarl, and a quick "stupefy!" was heard. Malfoy then performed a levitating charm and began walking upstairs. He emerged from the basement victorious, a large… werewolf floating behind him. Rodolphus immediately fingered his wand in his pocket. He did not like this situation one bit.

Voldemort sat and relaxed, and with a quick flick of his wand, he brought the werewolf back to consciousness. "Fenrir…" he said, and the wolf growled at recognition of its name. The moon is fading, in fact, at this moment, if I timed it correctly… ahh yes."

Slowly, the wolf transfigured back into a man. He still had claw-like nails, sharp teeth, rabid eyes, and dirty matted hair. He was a large man, and he gripped a wand in one hand, and pulled a small knife out of the pocket of his tattered garments and held it in his other.

He suddenly rushed the table and grabbed Dolohov and Goyle under his arms, forcing them to drop their wands with a spell of his own.

"What is this madness?" he asked.

Voldemort remained seated and spoke softly, calmly. "We want you, and any friends of yours, to follow us to greatness. We could use the backing of the werewolves in our campaign. We are aware of how your kind is shunned from most of the wizarding world, and we will treat you differently. You could be heroes to us."

Fenrir looked around a bit, seeming to consider it. "Aye… I do have friends, and I could get behind a cause that wants change, but I tend to get a bit violent, you know, and your campaign seems to only be wizards. There's no place for us here."

Voldemort spoke again. "Well your violence can help us. We have been ridding the world of muggleborns, and others who help their cause. We also eliminate any resistance, and use terror to help pave our way. As for the diversity you inquired about, there are trolls and ogres already in talks with us, as well as a few vampyres. We also have a witch in our number."

Fenrir slowly turned, and scanned the room for the witch. His eyes fell upon Bella, and he dropped Dolohov and Goyle to the ground. He slowly approached her and stood behind her, licking his lips and scratching the wood of her chair with his long nails. "And a fine witch you have here."

"Don't get excited Fenrir, she already is promised to Mr. Lestrange, and she could outduel you any day." At that moment, Bellatrix turned and looked up at him with fierce eyes, unnatural on her frail frame. He took a step back.

"I will talk to my comrades and we will be in touch, but I think I like your proposal."

He exited and the meeting began to die down. After most of the Death Eaters had left, Voldmort approached Rodolphus and Bellatrix and told them of a new task he had for them, and how they must not fail. With the mission weighing down on his mind, he wandered back to the Rosier house, and fell into an uneasy sleep.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

The mission was surprisingly simple. Rodolphus went with his brother and Bellatrix to talk to the werewolves, who, beyond eyeing Bellatrix every few seconds, were rather amiable and eager to aid the cause.

Soon enough, the weeks passed and the time for the wedding approached.

Rodolphus adjusted his robes and looked again into the long mirror. He thought he might be sick or yell out in joy or both. It was the end of the summer, and his wedding day. He hadn't seen Bellatrix all day, as was customary, but now his anxiety was growing.

It was a small wedding, with Bellatrix's family, some of the Black extended family, Rodolphus's father, Rabastan, and Evan in attendance. Some of the other Death Eaters were coming to the dinner that followed the ceremony as well. Before he knew it, Rodolphus was positioned in the front of the large ministry room. They had decided to get married at the ministry by a licensed wizard instead of somewhere more ornate. They saved ornate for the party after.

Rodolphus's first glance of Bellatrix was her walking towards him with her parents on either side. She gave Narcissa a small smile, and did not look in Andromeda's direction. Sirius stuck his tongue out at her. Rodolphus was awestruck at how lovely she looked in a long silvery gown with spaghetti straps, her hair done up lavishly. She beamed at him as she met him the front of the chamber, and even Rodolphus's father gave him a small encouraging smile.

She walked up to him, looking up at him, still about 6 inches shorter than him wearing heels. Once the vows were said, Rodolphus kissed Bellatrix, and she smiled up at him, holding both of his hands in her own. Rodolphus could see her mother wiping tears from her eyes. He felt a sudden pang of loss for his mother, whom he realized guiltily he hadn't thought of in weeks. He processed out of the ministry room, and apparated to the location of the party, which was the Black manor.

There was a large tent set up in the garden, and silver and black and green decorations everywhere. It was glitzy in a not over-the-top way, and Rodolphus sat down and treated himself to a butterbeer. Rabastan came over to him and clapped him on the back, congratulating his brother.

There was dancing and dinner and lots of drinking and socializing, and finally things began to wind down around midnight. Bellatrix offered to help her mother clean everything up, but her mother shooed her away to go enjoy her wedding night. She took Rodolphus by the hands, and led him to the edge of the garden. She then apparated him to a large, stately house, in the midst of a quaint wizarding community.

"My wedding gift from father," she said, as means of explanation.

"For us?"

"For us, now come on, I want to see the inside!"

She led him into the house, and they entered into a large entryway. A spiraling staircase led to a mezzanine level above them, from which bedrooms and bathrooms were set off from. A large kitchen, dining room, drawing room and sitting room filled out the bottom floor. The sitting room also doubled as a library, with shelves and shelves for books. There were essentially no furnishings- that would be for him and Bellatrix to sort out- but there was a large bed in the master bedroom.

Rodolphus ran up the stairs after Bellatrix, and picked her up into his arms. He was surprised at how easy she was to lift, for she was such a powerful witch. He laid her gently on the bed, and she slipped out of her silvery dress. Rodolphus took off his dress robes and laid down beside her.

After enjoying his wedding night immensely, Rodolphus laid down to sleep with Bellatrix's head resting on his chest, his large arms surrounding her. When he woke, he found that it was daybreak. Bellatrix came into the room, the door creaking as she opened it. She was wearing her silvery dress once again, but the zipper was jammed and her hair was disheveled. She had light bruises around her biceps and her eyes were red and tired.

"Where were you?" he asked, a sinking feeling coming into his gut.

"Nowhere," she responded coolly, though she absentmindedly fingered her dark mark. "Come lay with me, Rod," she said, a little desperate and nervous.

"You were with him, I know you were! You went to him on our wedding night! That is appalling!" His sinking feeling was quickly turning to anger.

"Rod, what was I supposed to do?" she asked, her voice cracking. "He called me, and I tried to ignore it, but it was so strong, my arm hurt. You know how it is!" She began to cry. "I had to go to him, and when I realized he called only me, I tried to leave, but he wouldn't let me." She finished speaking and sighed, bracing herself. "It's not my fucking fault, Rod!"

"Bella, shut up! I don't want to hear about how you're disgracing me by sleeping with him on your wedding night, and how badly he wants you. They all know, and they wont leave me alone because they know you're fucking him. He's such a fucking creep. Did you see what he did to those muggle women that night at your cousins'? Besides, you're mine. You're married to me, not him. I control what you do and who you see!" Rodolphus stood up and slipped on his robe. His fists clenched.

"Rod, I am no more yours than I am his, or anyone's. You don't own me because you're married to me. Have you been talking to my father?" she let out a sarcastic laugh. If he calls me, I must go, because it is my job as his servant."

Before he knew what was happening, he flung out his arm and hit her. He needed to take control of the situation, and it was all spinning out of control. He was so angry. He couldn't understand how she could betray him like that.

She fell back onto the bed, far away from her wand. God, he couldn't stand to see her face right now. He hit her again, striking her across the cheek, and then he held her down by the neck with one hand. His other held his wand, raised. She looked up at him, pleading with him with her eyes, because she understood she stood no chance against him physically. He let her up and she gasped for air, the color returning to her pale lips. He turned and left the room.

He went out for some breakfast and met up with his brother. He recounted the past night's events, but paused when his brother asked him what he did about it.

"Well?" asked Rabastan, his handsome face looking intently at his brother. Rodolphus always felt inferior to his younger brother, who had all the looks and a quiet charm Rodolphus could never possess. Right now his face was questioning his brother's making Rodolphus squirm with guilt.

"I… I hit her. A few times." He looked down after he said this, and pushed away his plate of unfinished breakfast. "I was so angry, I didn't know what to do, and this impulse just kind of took over."

"Rod, Rod that's not good."

"Yeah, I know it's not good. I don't know what to do about it."

"Well did you see that she was alright? Did you just come here? Where is she? Did he hurt her?"

Rodolphus suddenly felt awful for what he had done. He had just left her there, the morning after their wedding. He didn't check to see that she was alright. It didn't even cross his mind earlier that Voldemort might have forced himself on her. "Shit," said Rodolphus, standing. He slapped some money on the counter and went back to his new house.

"Bella?" he called, but didn't get a response.

"Bellatrix!?" He quickly climbed the stairs, concerned, but found her emerging from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her. A large black and blue mark had appeared on the side of her face and under her eye, and Rodolphus could see bruises of his fingers on her neck.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead, hugging her against him. She pulled away, suspicious.

"Legilimens," she muttered, and Rodolphus was surprised to feel her invade his mind, her wand nowhere in sight.

The memory of him hitting her flashed first, then his meeting with Rab. He then saw Voldemort's face, and her holding him back from attacking his master in anger. He saw them entering their new house, and her asleep with him in the dormitories at Hogwarts.

She then shared a memory of hers. There was broken glass on the floor, and iron bedposts. "Please, master, this isn't… Rod!"

He heard Voldemort's condescending cackle, and heard his voice. "Ha! Like a boy like him is deserving of you." The next part was a blur, a whirring of colors and then blackness. The next thing he saw was her limping up the stairs of their new home, blood trailing down her inner thigh.

She broke the connection and looked at him, hurt, accusing. She turned on her heal, tears in her eyes and left the room.

Rodolphus stayed most of the day in bed, reading, trying to improve his own legimency skills. He heard Bellatrix in the yard, yelling curses, breaking things. He peered out the window and saw her, her hair and eyes wild, still wearing her wedding dress.

She collapsed onto the lawn, crying, yelling, and pounding her fists into the ground.


End file.
